Government / Politics

Air Pollution

Democrats Call for Stronger Action on Environmental Justice

The Justice40 initiative could make a major difference for communities burdened by pollution, but only if funds are spent on projects that maintain a focus on equity.

September 18, 2022 - The Washington Post

Yellow gas pipeline with E.U. flag on one side and Russia flag on the other side

Vladimir Putin is Waging Two Wars in Europe

A hot war is being fought by Ukraine against Russia while the European Union is reeling from an energy war waged by Russian President Vladimir Putin in retaliation against economic sanctions placed on his nation for invading Ukraine.

September 15, 2022 - POLITICO Europe

Power lines and towers at a substation

California's Energy Reality Check

Is California ready for an all-electric future? The California energy grid barely withstood its biggest test during last week's heat wave as residents cranked up their air conditioners. CalMatters columnist Dan Walters questions if the grid is ready.

September 14, 2022 - CALmatters

Power lines and towers at a substation against a red sunset backdrop

Disaster Averted!

The California power grid withstood its biggest test ever on Tuesday and passed—barely. The only rolling blackouts that occurred during the Stage Three Energy Emergency alert were results of miscommunication.

September 11, 2022 - Los Angeles Times

Aerial view of watewater treatment plant

Where Are American Rescue Plan Funds Going?

Two digital tools track local spending of American Rescue Plan dollars.

September 8, 2022 - Brookings

A sign held above the crowd at a protest reads "No Pipelines" and "Stop RCMP Invasion on Indigenous Lands"

The Land Back Movement, Explained

A 500-year struggle has gained momentum in the days of social media.

September 7, 2022 - High Country News

Diablo Canyon Nuclear

Legislature Extends $1.4 Billion Lifeline to California's Last Operating Nuclear Power Plant

A bipartisan bill, fiercely opposed by many in the environmental community, would keep the Diablo Canyon Power Plant operating beyond 2025. The bill received overwhelming approval after it was amended to shorten the duration of the extension.

September 6, 2022 - CALmatters

San Francisco, California

San Francisco’s Big Redevelopment Plan Was Paused for Equity Analysis That Never Happened

Checking in with The Hub, a proposed rezoning that would enable a multi-parcel redevelopment at a conspicuous intersection, two years after the city paused the rezoning for additional analysis (spoiler alert: the analysis hasn’t even started).

September 1, 2022 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Navajo Generating Station, a coal-fired steam plant near Page, Arizona.

The Inflation Reduction Act's Secret Climate Weapon

While the impact on inflation of the questionably-titled Inflation Reduction Act remains to be seen, the law will mitigate the damage done by a landmark Supreme Court case in June that gutted the EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

September 1, 2022 - The New York Times

United States Environmental Protection Agency building in Washington, D.C.

Could This Supreme Court Ruling Affect Fair Housing?

Experts on housing law discuss the potential repercussions of a recent Supreme Court decision that struck down the EPA’s authority in limiting greenhouse gas emissions. Could conservative judges apply the same rationale to limit HUD's authority?

August 30, 2022 - Shelterforce Magazine

Car Graveyard

The Beginning of the End of the Internal Combustion Engine Vehicle?

The California Air Resources Board voted unanimously on August 25 to begin a phased ban on the sale of passenger vehicles powered by gasoline or diesel beginning in 2026 when over a third of new vehicles sold in California must be zero-emissions.

August 29, 2022 - The New York Times

Chicago Commuter Rail

Alternative Railroad Electrification

Rather than building costly overhead electrification infrastructure to convert a Chicago-area commuter rail line from polluting diesel power to emission-free electricity, the Metra Board of Directors chose a far less expensive and quicker route.

August 28, 2022 - Metra

Two yellow pipes for natural gas or oil agains ta backdrop of snow

The Big Divide Between Big and Little Oil on the New Climate-Energy Law

President Joe Biden signed what he called “one of the most significant laws in our history” last Tuesday. The energy provisions in the law that benefit oil and gas extraction exposed different perspectives within the industry on the law.

August 22, 2022 - Bloomberg News

Fracking

The Surprising Oil Tax in the Inflation Reduction Act

President Biden has made reducing gas prices paramount in his administration, so it was likely a surprise to hear a Republican senator last Sunday warn TV viewers that a revived and increased oil fee in the climate bill will increase their gas costs.

August 15, 2022 - Bloomberg News

An aerial view of Los Angeles at dawn, with Westlake and MacArthur Park in the foreground and Downtown Los Angeles in the background.

Did L.A.’s Supportive Housing Bond Fail?

Six years after Prop HHH was passed, the fund appears to be delivering on its housing construction goals in the 10-year timeline. But the measure is being routinely criticized on all sides.

August 11, 2022 - Shelterforce Magazine

Portland Transit

'Intersections + Identities: A Radical Rethinking of Our Transportation Experiences'

The American Planning Association's free "State of Transportation Planning Report" includes more than two dozen interesting and entertaining chapters by diverse authors on the subjects of planning resilience, equity, technology and mobility.

August 10, 2022 - Intersections + Identities A Radical Rethinking of Our Transportation Experiences

Group of bicyclists on a city street

Missing From the Climate-Energy Legislation: Bikes!

Missing from the Democrats' Inflation Reduction Act, the significant climate legislation which passed the Senate on a 51-50 party-line vote on Sunday with Vice President Harris casting the tie-breaking vote, is any mention of bikes.

August 9, 2022 - The Washington Post

Two people holding sign that says "house keys not handcuffs" during an anti-homelessness event in Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles Tightens Restrictions on Encampments

During a city council meeting that had to pause while police cleared the room of activists opposing the measure, the council voted to ban public sleeping within 500 feet of schools, making one-fifth of city sidewalks off-limits to unhoused people.

August 9, 2022 - Los Angeles Times

Four natural gas storage tanks with European Union flag logos

Rationing Energy

American motorists may complain about the 'pain at the pump,' but there is no shortage of gasoline, unlike the availability of natural gas in Europe.

August 7, 2022 - E&E News

Close-up of person holding receipt with grocery store shelves in background

The Local Causes of Inflation

Although it is widely seen as a national issue, decisions made at the local level often have a stronger impact on inflation than federal policies.

August 2, 2022 - Vox

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

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