President Donald Trump
President Donald Trump has low opinions on the state of a few very specific cities.
The Washington Post
New efforts by the Trump administration to potentially curtail local land use regulations require closer examination.
The New York Times
President Trump is scheduled to sign an executive order today that will create a federal-level group to study the obstructionist practices of local governments and the potential for a federal response.
The Wall Street Journal
President Trump made good on his promise last October to lift the E15 ban in time for the summer driving season. Not mentioned by the Des Moines Register are the downsides to allowing the higher ethanol blend to be sold during the summer, e.g., smog.
Los Angeles Times
Housing advocates blame the neglect of the federal government on the state of public housing in the United States. The Trump administration says government can't keep throwing money at the problems of public housing.
NPR
Introduced on April 30, the $2 trillion conceptual plan is likely to be dismissed by Congressional Republicans wary of increasing taxes and adding to the deficit, according to an extensive article by The Hill published three days later.
The Hill
The Trump administration's "energy dominance" agenda depends, in part, on growing the energy distribution network, namely pipelines, rail facilities, and ports. However, states can use the Clean Water Act to block pipelines and coal terminals.
InsideClimate News
Presidential budgets usually arrive with zero chance of being adopted without changes, but still important to consider as a reflection of the Executive Branch's priorities.
The Washington Post
President's Trump's name appears on six fewer buildings in Manhattan than on Election Day 2016.
The Washington Post
President Trump still touts coal and its return, but what’s happening in the real world suggests coal is on its way out for good.
Intelligencer - New York Magazine
The Trump administration has canceled a nearly $1 billion grant assigned to the California high-speed rail project and is attempting to get the state to return the $2.5 billion it has already spent on the $77 billion project.
The New York Times
William H. Frey, a demographer with Brookings, argues that racial diversity is a good thing for the country by many measures. Trump's wall would make it harder to benefit from demographic changes, but changes is still coming.
Brookings: The Avenue
In preparation for tonight's State of the Union address, consider the role of "transportation" and "infrastructure" in previous State of the Union addresses dating back to 1999.
Eno Center for Transportation
A new controversy about the Trump family's potential to profit from Trump administration policies emerged the same week as news that an executive order was forming a White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council.
The New York Times
Saturday Night Love comes up with a novel hot take on the thinking behind Amazon's decision to split its new second headquarters between New York City and Northern Virginia.
The Washington Post
The Trump administration's denial of climate change may serve a political purpose, but in the courtroom, it can prove a liability. A federal judge in Montana took into account the administration's "discarding" of climate science in its ruling.
InsideClimate News
President Trump and his cabinet have been busy rolling back environmental regulations and promoting coal burning, and now they claim credit for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions last year even greater than in 2016.
NPR
Students from Beverly Hills staged a high-visibility "walkout" to protest L.A. Metro's extension of the Purple Line subway past Beverly Hills High School.
The Los Angeles Times
President Trump announced at a campaign rally in Iowa that he would lift the ban on summertime sales of a 15 percent blend of ethanol, expected to increase smog levels. Both environmentalists and the oil industry oppose the action.
PBS NewsHour
At the NATO Summit in Brussels last Wednesday, President Trump charged that Germany was captive to Russia because of its dependence on Russian natural gas, and a new, controversial pipeline from Russia to Germany will exacerbate its dependency.
The Washington Post
