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Weekly Trek: September 4, 2015

Weekly Trek

September 4, 2015

Top Political News

  • Biden is top choice of Democrats if Clinton falters: Reuters/Ipsos poll. Reuters
  • How Social Media Is Ruining Politics. Politico
  • September headache ahead for GOP leader McConnell. The Hill
  • Sanders, Trump et al: partying like it’s 1968. Wall Street Journal
  • Some battle lines harden, others fade, in 2016 fight for Senate control. New York Times
  • What “Brownie” regrets: The former FEMA head talks about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, whether he really did a “heckuva job,” and why it’s “bullshit” to suggest the response was affected by race. NJ

Transportation

  • FRA makes $10 million available to states for rail crossing safety projects. Progressive Railroading
  • Google’s driverless cars run into problem: cars with drivers. New York Times
  • FAA Selects New Unmanned Aircraft Executives. FAA
  • Streetcar projects suffer a bumpy ride. Wall Street Journal
  • America’s great infrastructure stagnation. CityLab
  • Drone tracks fire hot spots in successful Olympic forest test. Seattle Times
  • States step up scrutiny of oil trains. Governing
  • The unfriendly skies of legacy carriers: Delta, United and American fight open-skies competition with calls for protectionism. Wall Street Journal

 

Energy & Natural Resources

 

  • Wildfires have now burned a massive 8 million acres across the U.S. Washington Post
  • Can we learn to handle the heat of forest fires? Audobon
  • EPA climate rule could take two more months to become official. The Hill
  • As wildfires rage and budgets dwindle, more federal funds sought for firefighting. A. Times
  • Thirteen states and the Obama administration are battling in court over whether the new federal water pollution rule should apply in every state. The Hill

 

Labor

 

  • The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) union is gearing up for an aggressive fall push to convince lawmakers to approve a long-term highway bill that has eluded transportation advocates for the better part of a decade. The Hill
  • Organized labor will have more to celebrate this Labor Day than in decades thanks to a string of recent victories. Politico
  • Uber drivers suit granted class-action status. Wall Street Journal
  • Obama orders pay raise for military, fed workers. The Hill

 

Taxation, Trade, & Defense

 

  • Obama to call for more icebreakers in Arctic as U.S. seeks foothold. New York Times
  • The union representing thousands of film, television and digital media writers is seeking an exemption for all unions from the Affordable Care Act’s “Cadillac tax” on high cost health plans. Wall Street Journal
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