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Today's Headlines

Wednesday’s Headlines Got the Gig

A new Biden administration rule would grant Uber and Lyft drivers employee status, with the labor rights and benefits that come with it.

  • The Biden administration is set to unveil a new rule requiring "gig economy" companies like Uber and Lyft to treat their drivers like employees, rather than contract workers with limited rights or benefits, reversing a Trump administration edict. (Reuters)
  • Automakers are finally looking to make electric vehicles lighter as a way to improve battery life and ease consumers' range anxiety (BBC). Lighter EVs would also be less likely to kill a cyclist or pedestrian when hit.
  • Since the U.S. is nowhere near defeating car culture, Angie Schmitt makes the case for buying an EV over a gas-powered model as the lesser of two evils.
  • New England states have been the fastest in bringing federally funded EV chargers online. (CleanTechnica)
  • Curbside management for activities like deliveries and transit stops are something to consider when converting empty offices to retail space or housing. (Smart Cities Dive)
  • Almost half of Americans would buy an e-bake with a rebate like Colorado's, making such policies low-hanging fruit for promoting exercise and battling climate change. (Momentum Mag)
  • Regulators in New Jersey and Georgia are cracking down on car dealers issuing fraudulent temp tags after a Streetsblog NYC investigation found that drivers were using them to dodge tickets and tolls.
  • Washington state's "cap and invest" plan for limiting carbon emissions brought in $2.2 billion to fight climate change in its first year, but it's facing pushback due to high gas prices. (Grist)
  • A report commissioned by Florida lawmakers found that Tampa's main transit agency is effective despite being severely underfunded. (Tampa Bay Times)
  • Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont says he supports transit-oriented development but won't force local governments to change their zoning policies. (CT Mirror)
  • Metro Transit leaders are on a Twin Cities listening tour seeking rider feedback on safety. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
  • Jalopnik has a slideshow tour of America's abandoned highways, some of which are used for hiking or biking, and others that are simply returning to nature.

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