Thursday’s Headlines Are Hot-Blooded, Check It and See

Hopefully the Earth won't have a fever of 103 when judges get done with the Trump administration's proposal to dismantle greenhouse gas regulations.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EST on December 18, 2025

Matt Boitor, CC

The Trump administration is running into legal obstacles over their assertion that the EPA can't regulate greenhouse gas emissions (E&E). The climate contrarians in charge may be boxed in when it comes to policy changes like rolling back tailpipe emissions or fuel efficiency standards.
States should be leaning into transit-oriented development, as 49 of 50 are already greater housing growth near rail stations. (Urban Institute)
The Trump administration's abrupt shift in policy away from electric vehicles and back toward promoting fossil fuels is costing Ford more than $19 billion. (New York Times)
Minority transit users are exposed to more heat than white ones, according to George Mason University researchers. (Eos)
Old Town — located on the outskirts of Columbus, Georgia — may not be old, but it embodies the old-fashioned New Urbanist principle of walkability (CNU Public Square). In fact, many cities are trying to remake their cores to look and feel more like the pre-car downtowns of yore. (Dwell)
A new study shows that residents of eastern U.S. states generally don't know how roads are paid for. (Citti Magazine)
California's thirst for freeways is fueling its housing crisis. (CalMatters)
The first phase of the massive Gateway project building a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River to speed up rail service all along the East Coast is almost done despite the Trump administration freezing funds. (NJ.com)
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill providing $1.5 billion to stabilize Chicago transit agencies. (Capitol News Illinois)
Tampa is looking to extend its free Ybor City streetcar line because it brings more foot traffic to businesses. (Tampa Bay Times)
Axios predicts that cyclists will be excited about the Kansas City streetcar's new Armour stop.
What is Portland doing about its high-crash network? (BikePortland)
Paris just unveiled Europe's longest cable car connecting the suburbs to the city's Metro system. (Metro)
Following Germany's lead, Spain is launching a monthly pass allowing residents to travel anywhere in the country by public transit for 60 euros a month, or 30 for young people. (The Guardian)