November 20, 2020

21 Nov November 20, 2020

Top News

• White House chief of staff ‘can’t guarantee’ U.S. government will avert December shutdown. Washington Post
• US coronavirus cases soar to new daily high of more than 185,000. CNN
• Three Ways Governments Can Maximize Covid-19 Funding Now. RouteFifty
• What Cities Need From the Biden Administration in the First 100 Days. Bloomberg CityLab
• The Cabinet Appointments That Really Matter In The Incoming Biden Administration. FiveThirtyEight
• The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics. Politico

Energy & Natural Resources

• Due to COVID-19, 2020 greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. are predicted to drop to lowest level in three decades. USA Today
• New Trump administration rules could allow more logging and roadbuilding in the nation’s forests. Washington Post
• Don’t Discount States for U.S. Climate Progress. Bloomberg
• Climate Activists Want Biden To Bar Appointees With Fossil Fuel Ties. NPR
• Biden Plans to Move Fast With a ‘Climate Administration.’ Here’s How. New York Times
• Biden will rejoin the Paris Climate Accord. Here’s what happens next. CNBC

Indian Affairs

• Native American votes helped secure Biden’s win in Arizona. AP
• Practical hurdles, cultural distrust in Native communities could hamper vaccine distribution. NBC
• Haaland says Biden will be ‘breath of fresh air’ on Native American issues. The Hill
• Native Americans Are Afraid, Hard-Hit As Coronavirus Spikes In The Great Plains. Huff Post

Labor

• Unions disagree over Biden’s Labor secretary pick. Politico
• Expect a New World for Investing Rules Under Biden. Barrons 
• Uber and Lyft used sneaky tactics to avoid making drivers employees in California, voters say. Now, they’re going national. Washington Post
• Bernie Sanders makes case for being Biden’s Labor secretary, says ‘would be a very attractive position’. Fox News
• Unemployment Claims Rise as Economic Worries Grow. New York Times

Taxation & Trade

• Trade Restrictions Relax After Early Pandemic Surge. Wall Street Journal
• Congress Blasts IRS for Limits on Forgiven PPP Loan Tax Breaks. Bloomberg
• Asia-Pacific Nations Sign Huge Trade Deal With China While U.S. Sits It Out. NPR
• Joe Biden has made his pick for treasury secretary, says he will announce choice soon. NBC
• ‘Everyone likes Katherine Tai’: House trade lawyer emerges as USTR contender. Politico

Technology

• Tech in the Biden era. Tech Crunch
• EPA sets 2030 national recycling goal, stakeholders call for more federal action. Smart Cities Dive
• States Launch Broadband Grant Programs with CARES Act Money. RouteFifty
• Mayors unveil $60B plan to support Midwest energy transition. Smart Cities Dive
• Inside the behind-the-scenes fight to convince Joe Biden about Silicon Valley. Recode

Transportation & Infrastructure

• Lawmakers Set to Give Infrastructure a Fresh Look in 2021. Wall Street Journal
• APTA survey shows voters want to see emergency funding for transit. Mass Transit
• US infrastructure spending to benefit from state initiatives. World Highways
• Rahm Emanuel under consideration to become Biden’s transportation secretary. CNN
• Severe Transit Cuts Would Cripple U.S. Economy, Experts Warn. Bloomberg CityLab
• Study: The Best—and Worst—State Highway Systems. RouteFifty

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