Friday’s Headlines Pollute All They Want

If the courts and Congress won't do it, the EPA under President Trump will just have to repeal itself.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EST on January 23, 2026

Defense Visual Information Distribution Service, CC

The EPA is usually more lenient under Republican administrations, but in the Trump era, it's outright undermining its own purpose. The agency plans to stop regulating automobile emissions altogether, despite even the current conservative Supreme Court recognizing it has the authority. (Grist)
The U.S. DOT has dropped its appeal of a ruling that the Trump administration can't withhold federal transportation funds from cities and states based on immigration policy. (Urban Milwaukee)
Congress and several states are pushing Uber to be more transparent about sexual assault allegations. (New York Times)
Cities can only become sustainable by growing up, not out, according to a Concordia University study.
Even Texas, which has by far the most highway miles of any state, has figured out it can't pave its way out of congestion (City of Yes). But that isn't stopping the Texas DOT from widening freeways in Houston (Gary's Substack). You know what could solve Texas traffic, though? Transit oriented development (KERA).
A bus headed from New York City to Washington, D.C. was essentially hijacked by its driver, who refused to take the passengers to their destination and dropped them off in a Virginia town instead. (The Hill)
Sprawl is bankrupting Los Angeles, where more than half the land is devoted to cars. (Common Edge)
The Boston T could be facing a nine-figure budget deficit by the start of the 2028 fiscal year. (WGBH)
An Austin man is suing the city, alleging that police officers used excessive force when they arrested him for jaywalking. (Fox 7)
South Florida's Tri-Rail is getting new locomotive engines that are cleaner and more reliable. (CBS 12)
A new freeway in Mumbai has become a symbol of inequality. (The Guardian)
The Saudi crown prince's terrible idea to build a 110-mile linear city is dead. (The Nation)
Volkswagen is building a recycling facility with the capacity to dismantle 15,000 vehicles per year. (electrive)