Executive Order
A Win for ‘Keep it in the Ground’
Coal mining in Wyoming will take a major hit as a result of a U.S. Department of Interior plan to cease future leasing of coal mines in the nation's most productive coal mining basin. The decision casts a spotlight on the presidential election.
Federal Fuel Economy Rules Take Different Path than Emission Standards
The traditional approach for federal fuel economy and emissions standards is for the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency to propose regulations simultaneously. This year is different.
Hawaii Governor Wipes Away Regulatory Barriers to Housing With the Stroke of a Pen
The governor of Hawaii is using emergency powers to remove barriers to housing construction.
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.
Biden's 'Path Out of the Pandemic' Imperiled by Multiple Court Decisions
The vaccine mandate that applies to federal contractors included in President Biden's COVID plan announced in September to slow the Delta surge was halted by a federal judge in Kentucky. That's the third requirement to be paused, leaving only one.
The Pandemic Crisis Is a Hospital Crisis
"Flatten the curve" was one of the first pandemic terms that Americans heard during the first surge. The idea was to reduce coronavirus transmission so as to prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed. But which curve? Case in point: Idaho.
Florida Judge Rules That Governor Overstepped Authority in Banning School Mask Mandates
A group of parents won the first round on Aug. 27 in a state circuit court in a dispute with the governor and state education agencies over the ability of school boards to require all students to wear masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Supreme Court of Texas Upholds Governor's Ban on Local Mask Mandates
As the coronavirus surges in hard-hit Texas, threatening to overwhelm hospitals, the state supreme court affirmed the right of the governor to preempt local governments from enacting proven health measures to keep residents safe from infection.
Coronavirus Litigation: CDC Loses Ability to Regulate Cruise Industry in Win for Florida Governor
In a stunning reversal, a federal appeals court panel on July 23 reversed its ruling issued six days earlier in favor of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after Gov. Ron DeSantis appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court.
Biden Administration's Energy Hypocrisy Exposed
World Oil, an energy publication, slightly annotated a Bloomberg News article to expose the hypocrisy of the Biden administration: curtailing oil production at home while pushing to increase it abroad.
Returning to the Office: Will Vaccinations Be Required?
A survey by Kaiser Health News of 15 of America's largest companies found that none are considering vaccine mandates, but most offer employee incentives. Mandates may be more of consideration after the FDA approves the vaccines.
Biden: Masks, Not Vaccines, Are Best Defense in Near Term
President Joe Biden is calling on all Americans to wear masks for the next 100 days to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, issuing two executive orders that require wearing masks on federal property and in domestic and international travel.
North Dakota's Mask Mandate Expires as Infections Plummet
North Dakota led the nation in COVID cases for months before Gov. Doug Burgum issued a mask mandate last November. Since then, active cases have dropped by 80 percent. The mandate was extended last month but was allowed to expire on Jan. 18.
SCOTUS: Freedom of Religion Trumps Public Health in a Pandemic
In a late-night 5-4 ruling on the eve of Thanksgiving, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a governor's executive order to stem the spread of a contagious virus can not impede the right of people to gather in a church.
Corona Crisis in America: The Metropolitan Area to Watch
The battle to control the coronavirus in the U.S is being led by 50 governors and the D.C. mayor, but ultimately it is at the local level where decisions are often the most consequential. Among large counties, the crisis is most severe in El Paso.
Herd Immunity Finds Receptive Audience in White House and Florida
A trio of epidemiologists from Stanford, Harvard, and the University of Oxford have joined the president's new coronavirus medical advisor, Scott Atlas, in promoting an alternative approach to dealing with coronavirus infections.
Georgia Mask Ban Reversed After White House Coronavirus Task Force Issues Critical Report
Shortly after a private White House report blasted Georgia's pandemic response, Gov. Brian Kemp issued an executive order allowing cities and counties to impose requirements on mask-wearing. The report was leaked to The Atlanta-Journal Constitution.
Georgia Feud Over Mask Mandates May Not Be What it Seems
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) has sued Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) and the Atlanta City Council over the city's mask mandate, which is stricter than mask provisions defined in the governor's July 15 executive order.
Religion in the Pandemic: First Amendment vs. Public Health and Safety
Conflicts between church and state are being decided in state and federal courts as governors act to protect their constituents from the coronavirus while religious institutions and their supporters seek exceptions from social gathering restrictions.
An Unlikely State Emerges as Nation's Premier Contact Tracer
The Peace Garden State is one of a handful of rural states never to have issued a stay-at-home order, yet it is number three in coronavirus testing per capita and number one in contact tracing, two of the four tools needed to contain COVID-19.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Caltrans
Los Alamos County
American Planning Association, Sustainable Communities Division
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Cambridge, Maryland
Newport County Development Council: Connect Greater Newport
Rockdale County Board of Commissioners
