# 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:** 435
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8681 "2026-09-25T02:20:17Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > corporate welfare for a dying industry What dying industry? AM radio? Most people have access to a radio today, keeping them in cars isn’t going to keep that industry alive. I kinda suspect it’s meant to prop up the American Auto industry, by making it a little harder for other companies to sell cars here, but they already need to change the speedometer and odometer to show “miles”, it’s not like this is a huge additional burden. I’m also dubious that having an AM radio in private passenger cars is going to make a difference in any disaster situation, but i think the motive is just that the average congressmen is really old, and feels like cars ought to have an 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 25, 2026, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8682 "2026-09-25T02:47:26Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Remember all the cites we gave you yesterday, showing that emergency response and disaster services are _ **also** _ in favor of the measure? The cites showing that AM radios have better reach in remote areas than other channels? Oh, no, wait, those don’t fit your narrative. So mandate AM tuners in cell phones, then. More people own phones than cars. What’s so special about having an AM radio in a car that no other form of AM receiver can possibly live up to? ---
**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 25, 2026, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8683 "2026-09-25T02:58:45Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > So mandate AM tuners in cell phones, then. More people own phones than cars. AM radios don’t work well in cell phones, as they require sizeable antennas (due to the wavelength of AM radio waves), which don’t fit in modern phones. Pocket transistor radios could use a coil of wire wrapped around a ferrite rod (typically several inches long), but there’s no space for such an antenna inside the already very full inner workings of a smartphone. (Cell phones previously could use the headphone wires as antennas for FM signals, which have a shorter wavelength; that trick doesn’t work for AM.) > [@Smapti](#): > > What’s so special about having an AM radio in a car that no other form of AM receiver can possibly live up to? To reiterate what has been explained already, several times: - This was not an issue at all until recently, with EVs. For literal decades, effectively all cars came from the factory with AM radios pre-installed. This is _not_ a case of the government mandating something that was never being done before. - If a car automatically comes with an AM radio, then a consumer who owns a car does _not_ need to go buy a standalone radio. (As I showed earlier today, at least 1/4 of Americans do _not_ currently own a standard radio, beyond what they may have in a car.) - If you know that your car has a radio, you know where your radio is. If you go buy an inexpensive radio at Walmart (your suggestion from yesterday), you may not remember where you had last put it, when you last used it, if the batteries are still good, etc. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8684 "2026-09-25T03:21:35Z")
Does the law allow a car manufacturer to just include a portable radio that’s powered by the 12v cigarette lighter? Or does it have to be integrated into the dash? ---
**Author:** ![abcdefghij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/43a26b/32.png) [@abcdefghij](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abcdefghij)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8685 "2026-09-25T03:28:34Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > FWIW, it’s an independent nonprofit that originated as a project of the University of Michigan. [https://philanthropy.org/990/who-funds/010779978/center-for-automotive-research](https://philanthropy.org/990/who-funds/010779978/center-for-automotive-research) The overwhelming majority of their funds come from Alliance for Automotive Innovation INC, which “Advocates for the motor vehicle manufacturing industry by representing member companies on legislative and regulatory issues to foster automotive innovation.” ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8686 "2026-09-25T03:32:30Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Did you know that Western Union sent its last telegraph in 2005? This was after fax had become mostly obsolete. The fax was invented only 10 years after the telegraph. ---
**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 25, 2026, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8687 "2026-09-25T03:37:18Z")
> [@CaveMike](#): > > Does the law allow a car manufacturer to just include a portable radio that’s powered by the 12v cigarette lighter? Or does it have to be integrated into the dash? The latter. From the text of the bill (emphasis mine): > [@](#): > > The rule must require all such vehicles to have devices that can receive signals and play content transmitted by AM stations or digital audio AM stations **installed as standard equipment** and made easily accessible to drivers. A portable radio plugged into a power port would undoubtedly not qualify as “installed as standard equipment.” [https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/315](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/315) ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8688 "2026-09-25T03:53:51Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > A portable radio plugged into a power port would undoubtedly not qualify as “installed as standard equipment.” Thanks @kenobi_65. ---
**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 25, 2026, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8689 "2026-09-25T04:07:46Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > AM radios don’t work well in cell phones Nor do they work well in modern cars, which is why automakers have been discontinuing them. > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > - If you know that your car has a radio, you know where your radio is Right, so when a tornado or a hurricane is bearing down on me, the power is out, and I don’t have a cell signal and I need to know if I need to evacuate or hunker down and stay inside, I’ll just head out to the car and oh wait I see a problem here. ---
**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 25, 2026, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8690 "2026-09-25T04:09:53Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Nor do they work well in modern cars Other than EVs – for which the interference is a _known and solvable problem_ – cite? They work **just fine** in modern ICE cars. ---
**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 25, 2026, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8691 "2026-09-25T04:12:02Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > They work **just fine** in modern ICE cars. Which are being phased out. > **[Governor Newsom Announces California Will Phase Out Gasoline-Powered Cars &...](https://www.gov.ca.gov/2020/09/23/governor-newsom-announces-california-will-phase-out-gasoline-powered-cars-drastically-reduce-demand-for-fossil-fuel-in-californias-fight-against-climate-change/)** > > Executive order directs state to require that, by 2035, all new cars and passenger trucks sold in California be zero-emission vehicles Transportation currently accounts for more than 50 percent of… ---
**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 25, 2026, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8692 "2026-09-25T04:19:44Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Which are being phased out. In a few states (though yes, California and New York are big states, population-wise), **nine years from now**. And, yet again: it is _not_ that AM radios can’t work in EVs; they can work just fine, if the EV builder includes that shielding. > **[Gas Car “Phase Out” States In 2026](https://coltura.org/gas-car-phase-out-states/)** > > Which states have adopted 2035 gas-car phaseout rules? See 2026 status by state, what the rules cover, and whether existing or used gas cars are affected. ---
**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 25, 2026, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8693 "2026-09-25T04:57:21Z")
On roads around here there are signs that say “tune to 530 AM when flashing”. When you do there is a notification. We don’t have a replacement for that yet. Until we do it’s a public safety feature some cars won’t have if they aren’t mandatory. Yes, there are digital signs these days which can be used but they can’t hold more than a very brief message as cars zip past. I agree with developing an alternative but we don’t have one yet. Until then it’s a legitimate public safety topic. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8694 "2026-09-25T05:17:40Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Apparently, folic acid being a “synthetic chemical” and an “acid” is oo, scary for some Britons. 🫣🙄 I wonder how they feel about ascorbic acid (aka Vitamin C), which is (suprise, suprise) a chemical that is often synthesised AND an acid. Like Vitamin B12 (aka folic acid), ascorbic acid is very hard to overdose on because everyone has at least one kidney and a urinary system to eliminate unnecessary vitamins… I’ve seen medical specimens of the unfortunate babies who were (usually still) born with spina-bifida. Perhaps a baby in a jar of formaldehyde should be on every pediatrician’s desk - those poor kids are much, much more scary an outcome that some idiots opinion about vitamins. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8695 "2026-09-25T06:01:20Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > As an aside, D cells are another thing I haven’t seen in decades. Amazon has plenty, even lithium and rechargables. [Amazon.com : D cell batteries](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=D+cell+batteries&crid=28VLQSOYRCBV0&sprefix=d+cell+batteries%2Caps%2C216&ref=nb_sb_noss_1) ---
**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 25, 2026, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8696 "2026-09-25T06:07:11Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Amazon has plenty, even lithium and rechargables. @Alessan lives in Israel; it may well be that D cells just aren’t commonly used there any longer (if they were in the first place). ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8697 "2026-09-25T07:52:55Z")
I don’t know if it’s just here or not, but I can’t remember the last time I saw D cells or any of those big old batteries behind a checkout counter. Devices that used to use Ds now either use a buttload of AAs, or a USB wire. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8698 "2026-09-25T11:40:05Z")
Well… given that I helped out at a plant science outreach event in the UK where one of the other volunteers, at a stall where they were showing kids how to extract DNA from fruit, was told quite firmly by a member of the Great British public that ‘I wouldn’t eat anything with DNA in it’, I’m not actually surprised at all. It really is taking longer than we thought. ---
**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 25, 2026, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8699 "2026-09-25T11:43:10Z")
I’ll agree that my US experience is just like yours in Israel. Namely: D cells certainly still exist, but both they and devices that use them are very, very thin on the ground. As in, substantially no mainstream retail stores carry them. But Amazon does. ---
**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 25, 2026, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8700 "2026-09-25T11:47:16Z")
Add me to the list of people who does not own an AM radio besides the one in my only car. I sure used to, bought some time in the early 90s. but it went away in a downsize. I should get a new one for emergency use. I do have a NOAA weather alert radio, but it’s not currently charged, plugged in, nor configured for my local area. In the Midwest where I bought it, tornadoes are common ambush predators. Conversely, here in Florida hurricanes come with a week’s warning. Different threat, different countermeasures. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657.md?page=434) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657.md?page=436)