The Latest

  • Side view of a two-door car parked at night with people sitting at tables on the sidewalk.
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    Courtesy of Tesla Motors
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    Tesla to launch robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, in June

    Elon Musk said Tesla robotaxis will “be in many other cities in the U.S. by the end of this year.”

  • U.S. flag flies above the Department of Justice building
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    Kevin Dietsch via Getty Images
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    Justice Department cancels hundreds of public safety grants

    The move will impede progress that’s been made on deterring crime, the U.S. Conference of Mayors says, calling for the grants’ reinstatement.  

  • Empire State Building against orange sky
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    David Dee Delgado via Getty Images
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    Nearly half of US residents breathe unhealthy air: report

    American Lung Association officials call for city leaders to speak up for federal support of air quality research amid record pollution levels.

  • Cars on a bridge with buildings in the background.
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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    DOT threatens NY highway funds if congestion pricing continues

    The Trump administration set a May 21 deadline for New York state to end its tolling plan for Manhattan.

  • Bumper-to-bumper cars emerge from a tunnel onto a midtown Manhattan street.
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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    New York expands EV purchase, charging equipment incentives

    New York is making $30 million available to assist with the lease or purchase of new electric vehicles. The state is also expanding efforts to reduce equipment installation costs for Level 2 chargers.

  • Bumper to bumper cars and trucks on a five-lane highway.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    DOT repeals highway GHG emissions reporting rule

    The Biden-era rule, which required states and metropolitan planning organizations to monitor and set targets to reduce CO2 emissions, faced political opposition and lawsuits.

  • Green motor coach making a turn at an intersection among tall city buildings.
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    Courtesy of Flix North America
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    Opinion

    Maximizing ROI in transportation: The case for intercity buses

    Privately operated intercity buses offer one of the highest returns on investment for federal transportation funding. The Trump administration could help expand this transportation mode.

  • The head of the federal Department of Transportation announced on Thursday that the Trump administration would assume control of the $7 billion renovation of Pennsylvania Station
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    Adam Gray/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Trump administration takes control of $7B Penn Station redevelopment

    Neither the MTA nor the U.S. Department of Transportation has disclosed how the takeover will affect project timelines or ongoing construction activity at the site.

  • A motor vehicle crash.
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    GummyBone/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images
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    US traffic deaths declined in 2024: NHTSA

    Domestic traffic fatalities last year were the lowest since 2020, even as people drove more, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s early estimate found.

  • Man wades in flooded street in front of apartment buildings
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    Megan Varner via Getty Images
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    Atlanta to launch Climate Resilience Action Plan

    The city plans to move forward even as federal support is uncertain and the plan’s focus on energy burden equity has put the program in the Trump administration’s crosshairs.

  • Several large plastic waste bins sit directly in front of a building in a fenced-off area. One of them reads "Food & Yard Waste"
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    Jacob Wallace/Smart Cities Dive
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    New York City pauses curbside organics enforcement

    The city issued tens of thousands of warnings before enforcement began on April 1, but Mayor Eric Adams has since paused that plan through the end of the year for most building owners.

    Updated April 21, 2025
  • An illustration of a high-speed train in California's Central Valley.
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    Courtesy of California High-Speed Rail Authority
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    Tracker

    US high-speed rail projects: The latest news

    Fort Worth, Texas, investor John Kleinheinz said he acquired a controlling interest in a Dallas-to-Houston high-speed project and will move forward with financing, permits and other issues this year.

    Updated April 18, 2025
  • Image of business person's hand extending a paycheck to another business person.
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    Andrey Popov via Getty Images
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    $100K won’t cover basic costs for a family in 25 of the top metros, report finds

    The “magic number” salary that ensures financial stability is changing, the authors wrote.

  • Rendering of futuristic aircraft with Manhattan skyline.
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    Courtesy of Archer Aviation
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    Archer Aviation outlines plans for New York air taxi network

    The eVTOL manufacturer, working with United Airlines, looks to link Manhattan with the region’s major airports.

  • Police officer investigates drive-by shooting
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    Scott Olson/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Behavior science, data could provide low-cost solutions to gun violence

    The University of Chicago's Crime Lab director outlined resource-efficient strategies to enhance public safety in a recent webinar.

  • A building rooftop covered in solar panels.
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    Permission granted by LeFrak
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    Q&A

    Jersey City developer completes solar housing retrofit it says is largest of its kind

    The 450 solar panels at the apartment complex offset the property’s HVAC and common area emissions by 13%, the developer's community relations head said.

  • A hand holding a sign reading, "Unfreeze the federal funds now."
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    Judge unfreezes billions in IRA, IIJA funds

    The temporary injunction resumes public health, clean air and climate-resilience efforts halted by Trump’s executive order.

  • A woman photographs a child balancing on a railroad track at a marked train crossing.
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    John M. Chase via Getty Images
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    Federal Highway Administration could improve pedestrian safety at rail crossings: GAO

    The bipartisan infrastructure law increased funding for some state and local railroad crossing safety improvements, but federal guidance needs to be updated.

  • School buses stand idle on December 15, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.
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    David McNew via Getty Images
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    ICE agents denied entry into LAUSD elementary schools

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security maintains the incidents, which rattled the education community, were "wellness checks on children who arrived unaccompanied at the border." 

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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    EPA confirms recycling, waste infrastructure grants on track for disbursement

    EPA will move forward with awarding the second round of solid waste and recycling grants. The news comes after uncertainty over the status of numerous federal funding opportunities for the waste and recycling sectors.

  • A person stands in front of a large tree toppled over next to a big house.
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    Kyle Rivas via Getty Images
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    Prepare now to protect urban forests from storms

    As FEMA funding fades and disasters intensify, risk assessments, standing contracts and debris-management plans are crucial, one conservation director says.

  • Front load truck collecting a container
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    photovs via Getty Images
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    Authorium steps into growing field of AI-supported government procurement products

    Authorium's new AI tool was trained on 15 million government procurement documents and can generate statements of work “in minutes," the company says.

  • The exterior of Brockton, Massachusetts, City Hall.
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    "City Hall" [Photograph]. Retrieved from City of Brockton, Massachusetts.
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    Brockton, Mass., leverages energy savings contract to preserve, improve two historic buildings

    New window, lighting and HVAC systems aim to reduce energy and improve air quality, including in one building that has been unusable in extreme weather. 

  • Mid-rise building with a warehouse exterior on the first two floors and modern glass above.
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    Permission granted by Atlantic Auctions
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    More Baltimore office-to-residential conversions face foreclosure

    At least three conversions in Baltimore have faced loan defaults or bankruptcies in the past year, but the companies related to them have had successes in other cities.

  • Chevrolet Bolt EV charging Chicago
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    More public EV charging, including curbside, envisioned in Chicago plan

    “By prioritizing equity and public input, we’re creating a roadmap for electric transportation that serves every neighborhood and helps drive down emissions across Chicago,” CDOT Commissioner Tom Carney said.