Media critic David Abel takes L.A.'s newspaper to task for abdicating its role in civic politics.
"A big-city newspaper achieves distinction as part of a region and a community's life by demonstrating the relevance of the place from which it hails to the larger national or global scene. Los Angeles qualifies as a global metropolis. Its leading newspaper should urge Angelenos to debate trade-offs and consider hard choices, compelling voters through reporting and commentary that vividly illustrates the policy choices available on the ballot and at the polls, not to mention in other aspects of civic life.
...Today, one finds too little in newspapers about civic life and representative government. What one does find is typically truncated or homogenized for consumption by the lowest common public denominator."
Thanks to Gwenn Hilburn
FULL STORY: Stop Dumbing Down This City

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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