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    (2025). "Subcommittee Markup of FY26 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Bill" [Video]. Retrieved from House Appropriations Committee/YouTube.
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    Amtrak, high-speed rail, public transit take cuts in House 2026 budget proposal

    In a markup session Monday, a House subcommittee proposed slashing the transportation department’s discretionary spending by over $3 billion.

  • A sign that says “FEMA-STATE Disaster Recovery Center” in the grass in front of a parked pickup truck.
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    Allison Joyce via Getty Images
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    Most states couldn’t afford disaster recovery without FEMA: report

    Cities may need to establish their own recovery and resilience funds because only a handful of states are prepared to absorb proposed FEMA cuts, the Urban Institute found.  

  • Sacramento, California, outside the capitol building
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    DustyPixel/iStock via Getty Images
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    California issues key updates on climate-risk disclosure laws

    The state’s laws on emissions and financial risk reporting signal a shift in regulatory expectations that could serve as a blueprint for other states weighing similar legislation.

  • A person kneels at a large wooden cross as two people look at a fence covered with flowers and photos.
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    5 steps cities can take to prevent a flood tragedy like Kerr County’s

    Cities and counties can strengthen their defenses — even on tight budgets —  with smarter maps, stronger codes and regional coordination, a flood expert says.

    Updated July 16, 2025
  • A man seated in the driver's seat of a car buckling his lap and shoulder belt.
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    Daisy-Daisy via Getty Images
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    Wisconsin raised seat belt use 25% over 20 years

    A public education campaign has been targeting men aged 18 to 34, the demographic least likely to wear a seat belt.

  • A rendering of an apartment building over a bookstore.
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    Permission granted by Moody Nolan
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    Q&A

    How big-box retail projects can help support affordable housing

    Architect Yanitza Brongers-Marrero looks to an upcoming Costco-anchored mixed-use project in Los Angeles as a model for financing and public benefit.

  • Metal sign that says United States Environmental Protection Agency on stone building
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    Greggory DiSalvo via Getty Images
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    Cities sue Trump administration over termination of climate justice grants

    Local governments say the EPA’s blanket cancellation of equity-related funding jeopardizes climate resilience efforts, air quality monitoring, flood mitigation and tree planting.

  • A man rides a bike along a street lined with more rental bikes.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Four-year global city cycling campaign added 1,200 miles of bike lanes

    The campaign initiated by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy helped 34 cities develop bike-friendly infrastructure.

  • Sec. 179D commercial building energy efficiency deduction, Foreclosurepedia
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    Alex Potemkin via Getty Images
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    End of tax incentive in Trump’s new policy bill could derail office conversions

    Although the deduction is about making commercial buildings energy efficient, it’s been key to owners’ willingness to invest in obsolete and financially distressed properties, supporters say.

  • People walking across a busy crosswalk in New York City.
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    deberarr via Getty Images
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    Pedestrian deaths declined last year but remain high: report

    Poor lighting and the absence of sidewalks were leading factors in deadly collisions, the Governors Highway Safety Association found.

  • Officers wearing black uniforms and white gloves stand with hands folded in front of them and the U.S. Capitol in the background.
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    Cities see sharp decline in police fatalities

    New data shows a 53% drop in officer deaths nationwide, which experts attribute to progress in public safety protocols, firearm awareness, de-escalation tactics and community support strategies.

  • A worker dumps trash into the back of a trash truck
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    Jeff Fusco via Getty Images
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    Philadelphia sanitation strike ends with tentative pay agreement

    AFSCME and Philadelphia officials confirmed the strike has ended, though the union must still ratify the terms of the deal before it becomes official. Between 1,200 and 1,300 sanitation workers were part of the strike.

  • A person in military fatigues stands aiming a gun in front of a car that says "U.S. Customs and Border Protection" with crowd and military officers in the background.
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    Apu Gomes via Getty Images
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    Legal showdown over immigration enforcement intensifies in LA

    Los Angeles and seven other cities have asked a federal judge to block ICE raids, arguing they set a dangerous precedent for unchecked federal power in urban areas.

  • Many people in winter coats on a train platform boarding a train.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    How will Amtrak change under the second Trump administration?

    The nation’s passenger railroad is adapting to White House priorities, such as by dropping high-speed rail projects.

  • Ramp structure and staging and storage facility, part of the Midtown Bus Terminal Redevelopment in New York City.
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    Courtesy of Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
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    New York Port Authority set to begin work on $1.87B bus terminal facility

    The staging and storage facility is part of the $10 billion Midtown Bus Terminal Redevelopment in New York City.

  • People on a station platform walking alongside a train.
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    Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
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    Massachusetts dedicates $8B to transportation in FY2026 budget

    Public transportation funding will help the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority narrow its deficit. Roads and bridges also received funding.

  • A drone flies over a brick building with 1600 over the door and U.S. flag on flagpole in front.
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    Courtesy of Michigan Central
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    Detroit deploys drones and AI to target building efficiency improvements

    The city has partnered with startups and a tech incubator to test drone and AI technology that guides energy retrofits, saving time and money compared with traditional assessments.

    Updated July 8, 2025
  • A pure white building looms in the foreground around green foliage and a bright blue sky.
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    FrozenShutter via Getty Images
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    California walks back environmental law for housing, high-speed rail

    The changes to the California Environmental Quality Act could greatly speed up the issuance of building permits.

  • Woman holding a brochure that reads "Congestion pricing is working" while a man in a suit looks on.
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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    New York congestion pricing at 6 months: the results

    The New York City region has seen less traffic, faster buses and increased transit ridership since the tolling program began Jan. 5.

  • Stoplights and street between two tall buildings with more tall buildings in the background.
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    peeterv via Getty Images
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    Cities can decarbonize buildings while cutting costs, new road map says

    The guide from Climate Mayors and Veolia aims to help cities tackle one of their biggest greenhouse gas emissions challenges, even as federal support for energy efficiency and decarbonization shrinks.

  • Austin, Texas State Capitol
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    Tamir Kalifa/Stringer via Getty Images
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    New Texas law allows apartments in some nonresidential zones

    Senate Bill 840 requires local governments to approve any project that meets its qualifications.

  • Man walking on sidewalk near a bus shelter with a blue van parked on the street.
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    Courtesy of Beep
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    Autonomous public transit shuttle launches, a US first

    The microtransit service could be “the very beginning of public transit being disrupted,” according to the chief executive of the company operating it.

  • Body of person with white cane and dog on leash crossing a crosswalk.
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    LightFieldStudios via Getty Images
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    Chicago must install accessible pedestrian signals at all signalized intersections by 2040

    The federal court order will “completely transform” Chicago’s pedestrian grid for visually disabled pedestrians, an advocate said.

  • A sign alongside a divided highway warns drivers to be on the lookout for deer crossing the roadway.
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    Courtesy of Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
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    US faces ‘road safety emergency,’ IIHS president says

    David Harkey criticized the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for not doing more to improve vehicle safety during a House subcommittee hearing last week.

  • A woman looks at her smartphone and while driving.
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    vgajic via Getty Images
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    Enforcement, education could reduce traffic deaths from distracted driving: report

    The National Distracted Driving Coalition reviewed traffic enforcement practices shown to help change behaviors and save lives.