Next-Generation Passenger Locomotives will be Built to Service Routes that are Already Experiencing a Surge in Ridership

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Pat Quinn today announced that Illinois has taken the next step to procure approximately 35 high-performance diesel-electric locomotives for several Midwestern and West Coast states, to be funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is leading the multi-state locomotive procurement, with a notice of award expected by early 2014. Meanwhile, passenger rail ridership in Illinois has surged dramatically in the past several years, supporting Governor Quinn's agenda to increase passenger traffic while the nation's high speed rail system is developed.

"These new locomotives will put the 'speed' in high speed rail, and Illinois is ideally situated at the forefront of the national push for high speed rail service," Governor Quinn said. "We are proud to lead the multi-state procurement effort for these state-of-the-art machines and look forward to the day when they will be pulling passenger trains through Illinois."

"When we make smart investments in rail, we are investing in America," U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said.  "Our Buy America provisions ensure that the major components of these locomotives will be built with American hands and with American-produced steel, iron, and manufactured goods."

"We are thrilled to have reached this very important juncture in this process," said Transportation Secretary Ann L. Schneider.  "We are excited to have secured Illinois' role as a national leader in high-speed rail and we look forward to working with our partners to help move this multi-state procurement forward."

Today IDOT issued a Request for Proposals to procure approximately 35 high-speed locomotives for Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Iowa, Washington and California. In March the Federal Railroad Administration recommended that Illinois lead this multi-state procurement of next-generation locomotives, part of the $808 million the FRA has allocated to manufacture the next generation of passenger rail equipment which also includes 130 bi-level rail cars.

Today's rail procurement news comes as passenger rail ridership in Illinois is experiencing a tremendous upswing. Ridership on key Amtrak routes in the state has surged over the last seven years. Passenger volume on the Chicago to St. Louis route is up 225 percent; Chicago to Carbondale is up 154 percent; Chicago to Quincy is up 95 percent; and Chicago to Milwaukee is up 42 percent.

"Several years ago, with ridership on passenger trains continuing to climb in the U.S., I saw an opportunity to bring the rail car manufacturing industry back to the U.S. and back to Illinois," U.S. Senator Richard J. Durbin said. "I spearheaded an effort in Congress to repair Amtrak's aging fleet of passenger cars, bring rehabilitated cars to Illinois and revive the train car industry in the United States. While a century ago the domestic railcar giant Pullman Company provided a strong manufacturing base in Illinois, today Illinois is home to the nation's largest rail supply industry. I applaud FRA's decision to name IDOT as the lead in the multi-state locomotive procurement process and to bring good paying jobs to the United States while advancing cleaner, cheaper, and greener transportation options."

IDOT was involved last year in a multi-state procurement of the 130 next-generation bi-level rail cars for high-speed service, an effort led by California.  That procurement resulted in the selection of Sumitomo/Nippon-Sharyo, which is building the rail cars from its plant in Rochelle, Illinois, including the 88 cars to be used on Midwest high-speed corridors.  The Rochelle plant opened in 2012 and has created more than 250 jobs in Illinois.

Illinois debuted 110-mph service on a segment of the Chicago-St. Louis corridor from Dwight to Pontiac in November 2012 and will expand 110-mph service to 75 percent of the route by 2015.  The FRA in December provided a Record of Decision on the entire Chicago-St. Louis corridor, allowing Illinois to begin in-depth corridor segment studies and specific project studies to move toward high-speed service on the other 25 percent of the corridor as soon as possible, including segments from Joliet to Chicago and from Alton to St. Louis.  The segment from Dwight to Joliet is under development and is expected to offer 110-mph service in 2017.

Illinois also is working closely with the state of Michigan to establish 110-mph service from Chicago to Detroit as the next Midwest segment targeted to run at higher speeds.

Documents for those interested in submitting proposals for the high-speed locomotive procurement may be found at www.dot.il.gov/desenv/transprocbulletin.html. A vendor conference will take place on August 22, with proposals due in October and a notice of award by early 2014.

FRA's High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail program and its Buy America plan implement America's "Vision for High-Speed Rail in America," which includes a goal to bolster American passenger rail expertise and resources.

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New Book on Ultimate Presidential Quotations Now Available - Right Here

For E-book galley-   Click on "Widget" below.

Abraham Lincoln said "I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today that he was yesterday." If you were to read the new book Wisdom from the Oval Office by Pierce Word, you would surely rise in the regard of President Lincoln if he were alive today.  The book gathers together the sage thoughts of the forty-four American presidents in the largest collection of presidential quotations ever assembled. Thoughts on love, life, success, politics, wisdom, and thirty five other categories are brought to light and bring insight into varying perspectives of the nine generations of presidents.

Along with Abraham Lincoln, the words of the presidents from Washington to Obama are presented about a broad range of subjects such as love, religion, God, and friendship. The flow of quotations and the manner in which they are categorized shows the frame of mind of each president such as Lincoln's spirituality, Nixon's binocular view of love and fear, and Obama on parental love.

You are invited to see for yourself. Just click on the "Widget" below (it is just a URL to NetGalley)) and you will be able to read the galley through the month of August. .

Wisdom from the Oval Office, pub date July 26, 2012 is available at Barnes and Noble, BN.com, Amazon and fine book stores nationally.

Contact: Don Bracken, djb@historypublishingco.com, 845-398-8161

Click on Widget here https://www.netgalley.com/widget/open?widget_id=34261_42987_137479472951f1b3e927845_9781933909936_US

DES MOINES, IA -  Iowa native Michael Pratt has joined Braley for Iowa as a deputy campaign manager. Pratt, a native Iowan, most recently served as finance director for Ed Markey's successful Senate campaign.

"I'm proud to welcome Michael Pratt to our team. His years of experience and dedication to progressive candidates and causes will build on our momentum in this race," said Braley. "With the addition of Michael to our experienced campaign team, we will continue to build a grassroots organization across the state and present my vision for a stronger middle class and new economic opportunities in every corner of the state."

Pratt is a native of Des Moines, Iowa and alumni of Dowling High School and the University of Iowa School of Law. He began his career as a researcher and legislative aide to Senator Tom Harkin and joined the finance team for Harkin's successful 2002 re-election campaign.

Among the top Democratic fundraisers in the nation, he served as finance director for Elizabeth Warren's successful U.S. Senate campaign, raising a record $42 million. Following the success of the Warren campaign, he took on the same role for Ed Markey's successful U.S. Senate bid.

Bruce Braley was born in Grinnell and grew up in nearby Brooklyn, Iowa. His father, a Marine, fought on Iwo Jima in World War II; his mother was a teacher. Braley worked his way through college and law school building roads and bridges with the Poweshiek County Roads Department, waiting tables, and tending bar. He worked as an attorney for 23 years before being elected to Congress. Braley has become known for his work on behalf of veterans, his advocacy for the middle class, and his bipartisan effectiveness. Braley lives in Waterloo with his wife, Carolyn. They have three children: Lisa, David, and Paul.

Veteran Biochemical/Nutritional Expert Offers Tips for
Maintaining a Healthy Weight

With the recent declaration from the American Medical Association that obesity now should be considered a disease, the United States officially becomes an even more afflicted union. Obesity, which affects 78 million adults and 12 million children, causes a plethora of other illnesses, including cardiac disease and diabetes.

"It's clear that a really fundamental paradigm shift in lifestyle is needed for an enormous swath of the U.S. population - but there are also Americans who have already reshaped their eating and exercise habits, and they're looking to not only maintain their health, but also take it to the next level," says Dr. Susie Rockway, a veteran nutritional and biochemical expert in the U.S. health industry.

"These are often busy, professional people who make an effort to eat healthy with most meals and make time throughout the workweek to move their body and get their blood pumping."

Still, they also want to be able to enjoy an indulgent meal every once in a while - birthdays, family barbecues or date night with the spouse. Dr. Rockway offers tips for people who want to maintain their weight while still enjoying the occasional burger, chicken wing or greasy pizza slice:

• Food diary: So, nine times out of 10 you eat healthy, eh? That may not really be true, but a food diary can help clear up any confusion. How much fattening mayo was used to make that tuna salad? If you've sworn off meat, are you getting enough protein and are you eating too many carbohydrates? What kind of carbs are they? Are you eating a diverse diet that provides all the necessary nutrients? A food diary will help challenge your assumptions and make you more aware of everything you're eating, how much and where you might make healthy adjustments.

• Stay hydrated: Whether you've upped the ante on your workouts or you're consuming too much salt or too many caffeinated beverages, which act as a diuretic, doctors and researchers believe as many as 75 percent of Americans experience dehydration throughout the day. Dehydration can make you confuse thirst for hunger, cause fatigue and a fuzzy memory.

• Lineatabs www.lineatabs.com: This meal supplement has been popular in  Europe for 11 years and recently became available in the United States. Lineatabs contains Solusitan, an all-natural fat-binding complex. Unlike other fat-binding supplements, Lineatabs dissolve in water to become an effervescent citrus flavored beverage that users consume before or while eating a fatty meal. Since the dietary fibers in Lineatabs are dispersed in water are not compressed into a tablet, they're immediately available to bind with fats, turning them into an indigestible liquid mass. The tabs are perfect for people who follow a healthy diet but occasionally eat a greasy-fatty meal. The ingredients in Lineatabs are clinically proven to help reduce body weight, in combination with a calorie-restricted diet, and can also help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Additionally, Lineatabs encourages hydration, as it makes you drink more water.

• Relaxation: If you're always on the go, chances are you may be suffering from excessive stress, which according to the American Journal of Epidemiology, raises levels of cortisol, a hormone that can make you feel hungry. Stress can also make busy people more prone to comfort eating, including excessive amounts and foods filled with fat, sugar and salt. Consider breathing techniques, yoga or meditation for handling a busy schedule.

• Slightly increase/mix-up cardio: It's easy to get into a routine in your workout. After a certain point, however, your body gets used to the exercise and you get less of a workout. You don't have to drastically alter things though; increasing the incline on your treadmill by just 5 percent can help you lose 15 percent more calories during your walk/jog/run. If you want more muscle definition, consider trading a walk for a shorter jog, or a jog for a shorter sprint.

About Dr. Susie Rockway, Ph.D., C.N.S.

Dr. Susie Rockway, Ph.D., C.N.S., is a veteran nutritional and biochemical expert and is a multi-decade industry expert. She has worked for multiple companies in executive capacities, including as an executive director of product development, a director of research, and a manager for science developing health and wellness products, where she communicated nutrition and new science updates to consumers. She has also designed testing strategies for clinical efficacy studies.