Friday’s Headlines Are in Decline
The U.S. is becoming a dying petrostate, while China leads the world in renewable energy.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on May 22, 2026
- In the short term, U.S. fossil fuel companies are the biggest winners from President Trump’s war on Iran, thanks to higher and higher fuel prices. In the long run, though, more countries will pursue energy independence with help from China, spelling the end for American hegemony, much like the coal-driven British empire a century ago. (The Guardian)
- Mother Jones shows once again why suspending the federal gas tax wouldn’t help drivers much, but would blow a huge hole in transportation funding.
- The president of Amtrak, Roger Harris, is stepping down at the end of July. (Trains)
- How did 15-minute cities become the latest right-wing conspiracy theory? (Car Free America)
- As far as raw totals, California has the most pedestrian deaths in the country, mostly because of L.A. (Los Angeles Magazine)
- Drivers hit an astonishing 21 pedestrians on Knoxville’s North Broadway last year, but the city is planning changes. (News Sentinel)
- Transit ridership in Pittsburgh rose 50 percent for the NFL Draft, totaling more than 400,000 riders over three days. (Axios)
- Orlando is raising parking rates, which of course is freaking out business owners who don’t consider that if parking is too cheap, their customers won’t be able to find a space. (Click Orlando)
- A lot of disinformation is also going around about the Colfax Avenue bus rapid transit line in Denver and its supposedly “devastating” impact on businesses. (Westword)
- Dallas is considering expanding streetcar lines, but some council members have concerns about the cost. (KERA)
- Legal and political challenges continue to slow down Austin’s Project Connect transit plan, and meanwhile costs continue to rise. (Texas Tribune)
- The Texas DOT will not let Austin keep a Black Lives Matter mural or a rainbow crosswalk, not even a crosswalk honoring the University of Texas. (KUT)
- Portland’s $1 billion climate change fund — which has funded converting parking lots into community gardens, among other things — could serve as an example to the rest of the country. (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
- The Central City District in Philadelphia installed modular curbs to protect bike lanes on 13th Street. (Voice)
- Construction on Salt Lake City’s S-line streetcar extension will start this summer. (ABC 4)
- The Kansas City streetcar’s Riverfront extension will make it easier for soccer fans to get to Current games. (Star)
- The District of Columbia is a great place to go running. (Greater Greater Washington)
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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