Monday’s Headlines Drill, Baby, Drill
Energy-hungry nations are subsidizing the fossil fuel industry with cash, tax breaks and freebies like roads.
By
Blake Aued
12:02 AM EDT on August 5, 2024
- Governments worldwide subsidize fossil fuel companies to the tune of $10 trillion — with a “t” — annually. (The Conversation)
- No one likes to pay for something that used to be free, but in cities that adopted it, congestion pricing quickly became popular once people saw the benefits. (Grist)
- Voters with sight and mobility problems can have a hard time getting to the polls, especially as red states crack down on voting by mail. (Mother Jones)
- Uber chief legal officer Tony West is taking a leave of absence to work on his sister-in-law Kamala Harris’ campaign. (Fortune)
- New data challenges the conventional wisdom that the spike in traffic deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic was caused by empty roads. (Streetsblog USA)
- Some Los Angeles transit projects may not be ready in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics. (NBC Los Angeles)
- The Federal Transit Administration committed $5.1 billion to extend a Bay Area Rapid Transit rail line to San Jose and Santa Clara. (KQED)
- In the latest twist on wages for rideshare drivers, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz vetoed a bill providing raises and job protections, forming a commission to study the issue instead. (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
- Cleveland is seeking public input on “Cleveland Moves,” a five-year walking, biking and transit initiative. (Plain Dealer)
- A tax reform plan in the Nebraska legislature could threaten the funding mechanism for the Omaha streetcar. (Nebraska Examiner)
- As school starts in Georgia, a new state law takes effect with stiff penalties for motorists who pass a school bus that’s picking up or dropping off children. (11 Alive)
- Denver business owners are made about a proposed protected bike lane despite all the evidence that they don’t drive away customers. (Denver Post)
- Seattle bikeshare ridership was up 71 percent over July 2023, shattering the monthly ridership record. (Seattle Bike Blog)
- Philadelphia bikeshare Indego brought back a single-ride option for the first time since 2018, when it went to 24-hour passes. (Philly Voice)
- Richmond is offering bikeshare vouchers for residents in three neighborhoods. (Standard)
- Singer Justin Timberlake, who was charged with DWI in June, said bye bye bye to his license when a judge suspended it (Jalopnik). This might ruin the tour.
Blake Aued has been doing Streetsblog's daily national news digest for years. He's also an Atlanta Braves fan, which enrages his editor in New York.
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