Obama Administration

New Jersey Power Plant

Supreme Court Guts the U.S. EPA’s Ability to Limit Carbon Emissions

The consequences of this ruling have long been foretold. With the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now officially barred from the fight against climate change, Congress will have to act to reduce carbon emissions.

June 30, 2022 - Yahoo News

Rosa Parks

Obama on the Record Against Sprawl, Inequality by Design

Former President Barack Obama was at the AIA’s national conference in Chicago earlier this month. His presentation included some strong words about the effects of sprawl.

June 30, 2022 - Dezeen

3D rendering of a hydrogen storage facility with wind turbines in background

Energy Department Resumes Loan Program with Hydrogen Storage

The Energy Department's loan office, known for a bad loan to the solar panel startup Solyndra in 2011, will loan $504 million to a company that will use renewable energy to create 'green hydrogen' and store it in salt caverns in Utah.

June 21, 2022 - U.S. Department of Energy

Tailpipe

Emissions Benefits of the Biden Administration's New Tailpipe Emissions Rules

Emissions prevented by new tailpipe standards announced by the Biden administration in December 2021 will be measured in the billions.

January 3, 2022 - Grist

An Amtrak passenger train is shown on a spring day, rolling through a rural area in Missouri.

Amtrak Hits New Top Speeds Between St. Louis and Chicago

A project that won funding from federal stimulus programs during the Obama administration is finally paying off on the Amtrak route between Chicago and St. Louis.

December 24, 2021 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Joe Biden exits a limousine, surrounded by security and staffers, on the way to the Marine One helicopter on a pad near the water in New York City.

Biden's New Tailpipe Emissions Rule Resets to Obama Administration Standards

The Biden administration finalized greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for passenger cars and light trucks that almost fully erased changes by the Trump administration that, in turn, erased a rule finalized by the Obama administration.

December 21, 2021 - The Washington Post

A close up image of the exterior of the U.S. Capitol Rotunda illuminated at dusk.

Historic 'Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act' Passes Final Hurdle in Congress, Heads to Biden for Signature

Months after the Senate voted to approve the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in a historic moment of bipartisan legislation, the House of Representatives put the finishing touches on a $1.2 trillion bill with $550 million in new spending.

November 8, 2021 - James Brasuell

An image of the book "A Promised Land," by Barack Obama shows a black and white photo of the former president smiling.

Obama Presidential Center Breaks Ground on Chicago's South Side

Years of controversy and delay were in the rearview this week when the Obamas joined the governor of Illinois and the mayor of Chicago to break ground on the Obama Presidential Center .

September 30, 2021 - The New York Times

Coast Stream

Judge Tosses Trump Administration's Rollback of 'Waters of the United States' Protections

The Trump administration's Navigable Waters Protection Rule was sloppy, and it would have done "serious environmental harm," according to a recent court ruling.

September 5, 2021 - The Washington Post

Bikeshare and murals

Five Years Later, 'Smart Cities Challenge' Promise Unfulfilled

The "Smart Cities Challenge" paid Columbus, Ohio $50 million to kick start a revolution of urban technology. The revolution never arrived, according to a recent assessment by Wired writer Aarian Marshall.

July 7, 2021 - Wired

Climate Protest

Developer Drops Keystone XL Plans

It's the latest turn of the screw for a project that has depended on the occupant in the White House.

June 10, 2021 - The New York Times

Biden administration

The Pandemic Expert in the Biden Cabinet Who is Not on the Biden Health Team

Ron Klain, President Obama's former Ebola response coordinator, will serve as chief of staff to President-elect Joe Biden. This post also looks at all the appointments and nominations for Biden's health team that will devise a Covid response.

December 28, 2020 - The Atlantic

Ben Carson

The Hypocrisies and Troubles of Local Control

President Trump has opinions about the sanctity of local control that don't agree with his other opinions about local control. This is a cautionary tale.

September 16, 2020 - James Brasuell

Methane

EPA Completes Rollback of Obama-Era Methane Regulations

The new rules are significantly less stringent in mandating repair of methane leaks and regulation of emissions.

August 26, 2020 - Scientific American / E&E News

Washington, D.C.

I Have Spent My Career Advocating for Fair Housing. It's Good to See Obama's Rule Go.

The Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, as adopted by the Obama administration and scrapped by the Trump administration, didn't include the policy tools necessary to achieve fair housing in the United States, according to this opinion piece.

August 12, 2020 - Jonathan Zasloff

Indiana

Bike-Friendly City in Indiana is Known for Plentiful Roundabouts

Indiana's fifth-largest city, of just under 100,000, residents has 120 roundabouts, more than any city in the U.S., and only 14 traffic lights. The average traffic fatality rate is 83 percent lower than the national average.

February 2, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

Folsom Car Culture

Coming Soon: Trump's Revised Fuel Efficiency Standards

The Trump administration has submitted revised fuel efficiency standards to the White House Office of Management and Budget for a final review. If approved, the rule would overturn a key environmental initiative of the Obama administration.

January 23, 2020 - The Detroit News

Oil Pump in Los Angeles

Trump Administration Reopens California Public Lands to Oil and Gas Drilling

A decision by the Bureau of Land Management on Oct. 3 may reverse the outcome of a 2013 lawsuit against the Obama administration by two environmental groups that effectively halted drilling in Fresno, Monterey and San Benito counties.

October 11, 2019 - The Hill

Methane

Big Oil Not Happy With Methane Regulation Rollback

The Trump administration's rollback on August 29 of an Obama-era regulation to reduce methane emissions in the production and distribution of oil and natural gas did not sit well with large oil and gas companies who see value in reducing emissions.

September 3, 2019 - The New York Times

Brownstones

The Underappreciated Role of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae in Access to Affordable Housing

A housing researcher formerly with the Obama administration's Treasury Department explains the role of government-sponsored enterprises in opening the housing market with more affordable options.

July 10, 2019 - Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University

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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

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