Friday’s Headlines Are Full of Hot Air

They done done it, as we say in the South: The Trump administration's official policy now is that climate change poses no threat to human health.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EST on February 13, 2026

Make America Smoggy Again.

|Photo: Ivan Bogdanov

In the face of vast and growing evidence, the EPA officially renounced a decades-old scientific finding that climate change poses a threat to human health, setting the stage for repealing rules regarding tailpipe emissions, fuel efficiency and other forms of air pollution (New York Times). This sets the stage for a bunch of lawsuits, and for the auto industry it creates uncertainty, which businesses hate even more than strict regulations (Vox).
Since courts ruled the U.S. DOT can't freeze funding for electric vehicle chargers, the Trump administration is trying to stall by making "Buy American" requirements more stringent. (Electrek)
Predictable shifts and more reasonable schedules would help transit agencies address a shortage of bus drivers, according to a new report. (Smart Cities Dive)
Uber is planning a future mix of human and robot drivers. (Axios)
Should cities subsidize or tax micromobility networks? Uytae Lee, author of "The Bike Share Dilemma," leans toward the former. (Momentum)
Los Angeles set a Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic deaths by 2025. Instead, drivers killed 290 people last year. (LAist)
San Antonio officials are torn between funding two fast and frequent bus rapid transit lines and eliminating fares. (Texas Public Radio)
Almost three weeks after a big winter storm, Philadelphia bike lanes are still covered in snow and ice. (Philly Mag)
A Federal Transit Administration environmental impact review turned out favorably for a Buffalo light rail extension. (Progressive Railroading)
Minneapolis residents are constructing DIY traffic-calming measures on neighborhood streets to slow down and identify immigration agents. (MinnPost)
University of Michigan students are also embracing tactical urbanism by building benches at Ann Arbor bus stops. (Michigan Daily)