Wednesday’s Headlines Have Consequences
The Trump administration's actions on climate change have consequences for future generations. Industries might not like what they get in return.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EST on February 18, 2026
- The Trump administration’s reversal on the “endangerment finding” threatens to undo more than 50 years of environmental progress (New York Magazine). Abandoning it will lead to more pollution, more deaths, poorer health, fewer jobs, higher prices, legal chaos and further loss of U.S. prestige, according to a former EPA official in the Obama administration (Forbes). It could also backfire on the auto industry, opening the door for more lawsuits and a patchwork of state regulations (Grist).
- Transit agencies want more control over their technology and to become less reliant on outside vendors. (Fast Company)
- A Bloomberg video explains that U.S. transit agencies are overpaying for highly customized buses from a shrinking number of manufacturers.
- Most of the website Curbed’s 20 years’ worth of articles on transportation, architecture, real estate and similar topics have vanished off the internet. (Architect’s Newspaper)
- Bay Area Rapid Transit’s new faregates are generating an extra $10 million of revenue annually. (San Francisco Chronicle)
- The chair of Denver’s Regional Transportation District believes a multi-billion-dollar rail expansion voters approved in 2004 will never be built. (Colorado Public Radio)
- A Florida bill would ban local governments from enacting any policies that would result in fewer carbon emissions, such as road diets. (CleanTechnica)
- Detroit transit riders are often forced to wait outside in the cold for a late bus or streetcar. (Outlier Media)
- One member of Idaho’s Valley Regional Transit is trying to derail a proposal for public votes on new funding mechanisms. (Boise State Public Radio)
- Say this three times fast: The Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl parade may have set a ridership record for Sound Transit. (KOMO)
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.
Read More:
Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.
More from Streetsblog USA
Slight In August: Streetsblog Is On Hiatus
We're taking a week for professional development.
August 31, 2026
Monday’s Headlines Have Been Loving Amtrak Too Long to Stop Now
Why slash federal funding for rail in half at a time when Amtrak is more successful than it's ever been?
August 31, 2026
Friday Video: Sen. Ed Markey Says Democrats ‘Have to Fight Harder’
StreetsblogMASS rode the bus from Malden to Chelsea with Sen. Ed Markey to talk federal transportation policy and this fall's elections.
August 28, 2026
Friday’s Headlines Are Cruisin’ in My ’64
Breaking news: Driving is fun, but expensive and dangerous.
August 28, 2026
Talking Headways Podcast: Measuring the Pulse of Urban Development
This week on the Talking Headways podcast, we’re joined by Karen Seto at Yale University and Zhe Zhu at the University of Connecticut to talk about their new study, The Urban Pulse.
August 27, 2026
