July 26, 2019

12 Aug July 26, 2019

Top News

• House passes two-year budget deal to lift spending, suspend debt ceiling. Washington Post
• What We Learned From Mueller’s 7 Hours on Capitol Hill. New York Times
• Esper confirmed as Defense secretary. Politico
• Senate Confirms Former Delta Executive Stephen Dickson as FAA Administrator. Transport Topics
• The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics. Politico

Energy, Natural Resources, & Agriculture

• Scoop: Fed to host its first conference dedicated to climate change. Axios
• Three EPA Advisory Panels Could Be Slashed Under Trump Order. Bloomberg Environment
• California, Wary of More Wildfires, Is Paying for Them Already. New York Times
• Could Renewable Natural Gas Be the Next Big Thing in Green Energy? Yale Environment 360

Indian Affairs

• Senate hearing looks at hemp-growing obstacles for farmers and state and tribal governments. Nutritional Outlook
• Elevated opioid risks found at Native American hospitals. Associated Press
• Julián Castro: Partner with tribes ‘for a fairer and more prosperous future.’ Indian Country Today
• Tribe at center of pipeline protests launches solar farm. Associated Press

Labor

• The Plan to Save Truckers’ and Miners’ Pensions Is Running Out of Time. Wall Street Journal
• Kentucky’s New Pension Law Marks Unprecedented Reforms. Governing. Governing
• Trump administration asks court to let it restrict federal unions now. Washington Post

Taxation & Trade

• White House Hopes Congress Will Take Up USMCA in September, Kudlow Says. Wall Street Journal
• U.S. manufacturing is in a ‘technical recession.’ How worried should we be? Washington Post
• Opportunity Zoning. Urban Institute
• Should Electric Vehicle Drivers Pay Per Mile? CityLab
• Uber, Lyft Rides May Be Taxed Under San Francisco Measure. Bloomberg
• U.S. Economy Grew at 2.1% Rate in 2nd Quarter, G.D.P. Report Says. New York Times

Technology

• Advancing New Technologies a Priority for USDOT Leadership, OMB Official Says. Transport Topics
• Ford’s scooter company launches aggressive expansion plan with next-gen scooter. The Verge
• Justice Department Opens Antitrust Review of Big Tech Companies. New York Times
• The $26.5B T-Mobile/Sprint Merger Moves a Big Step Forward. WIRED

Transportation & Infrastructure

• Senate Begins Consideration of Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill. ARTBA
• Calif. skirts Trump, signs mileage deal with 4 automakers. Associated Press
• Federal Watchdog Recommends Congress Improve Freight Infrastructure Grants. Transport Topics
• Railroads face a freight slowdown. Associated Press
• Was the Automotive Era a Terrible Mistake? The New Yorker