“President Trump ordered a review of all federal aviation hiring and safety decisions in response to Wednesday night’s deadly air collision near Washington,” Axios reports.
“The order shows Trump is doubling down on his claim, without evidence, that DEI policies were a factor in the crash.”
“His memo explicitly mentions “diversity equity and inclusion,” and reflects how anti-DEI efforts are a centerpiece of his second administration’s policy.”
President Trump took questions from the media on the plane crash last night in Washington, D.C.:
REPORTER: I’m trying to figure out how you can come to the conclusion right now that diversity had something to do with this crash.
TRUMP: Because I have common sense, OK? And unfortunately a lot of people don’t.
“President Trump blamed diversity requirements at the Federal Aviation Administration and his two Democratic predecessors for the midair collision over the Potomac River on Wednesday night, saying that standards for air traffic controllers had been too lax,” the New York Times reports.
“Mr. Trump cited no evidence, and even admitted when pressed that the investigation had only just begun…”
“His instant focus on diversity reflected his instinct to immediately frame major events through his political or ideological lens, whether the facts fit or not.”
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“The Trump administration is considering a move to halt New York City’s congestion pricing program,” the New York Times reports.
“No final decision has been made but President Trump had vowed to halt congestion pricing once he entered office, saying it was harmful to the city’s economy.”
“Obviously, it is not standard to have aircraft collide. I want to be clear on that.”
— Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, at a press briefing.
The White House told Fox News that President Trump will make a “big” announcement later today about infrastructure.
CBS News reports Trump will announce up to $500 billion in private sector investment to build artificial intelligence infrastructure in the United States.
“Traffic on New York City’s busiest streets dropped by 7.5% and morning travel times fell on most major crossings into Manhattan during the first work week of the city’s congestion pricing plan, signaling that some motorists changed their driving patterns to avoid the new toll,” Bloomberg reports.
“The Biden administration is making its final major infrastructure spending announcement on Friday, devoting $5 billion to 560 projects across all 50 states, DC, and US territories,” Semafor reports.
“The money from the bipartisan infrastructure law will fund improvements to rail safety, intercity rail service, surface transportation infrastructure, and airports, and will expand EV charging stations.”
“Jetliners being accidentally blasted out of the sky has become the leading cause of commercial-aviation deaths over recent years, marking a new trend running counter to an otherwise improving safety picture,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Rolling Stone: “Camera crews and local politicians and union members gather as if Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is giving out gold bars. And in a way, he is. Buttigieg, clad in his standard crisp white shirt and blue tie, is here to announce $196 million in funding to rebuild the bridge before it deteriorates further and forces expensive and unsafe detours through the area.”
“Buttigieg is on a farewell tour of sorts after the Democrats’ November defeat. He’s trying to connect the dots in his now-home state of Michigan between the Biden administration’s expansive infrastructure program and job creation for a working class yet to feel the post-pandemic economic recovery that long ago reached Wall Street.”
“Members of President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team have told advisers they plan to make a federal framework for fully self-driving vehicles one of the Transportation Department’s priorities,“ Bloomberg reports.
“If new rules enable cars without human controls, that would directly benefit Elon Musk, the Tesla Inc. chief executive officer and Trump mega-donor who has become a powerful fixture in the president-elect’s inner circle. He has bet the future of the EV maker on self-driving technology and artificial intelligence.”
“Retiring Rep. Garret Graves of Louisiana is in talks with Donald Trump’s transition team about the possibility of him becoming secretary of transportation,” NOTUS reports.
“As he campaigned for the Senate two years ago, JD Vance harshly criticized a bipartisan 2021 law to invest more than $1 trillion in America’s crumbling infrastructure, calling it a ‘huge mistake’ shaped by Democrats who want to spend big taxpayer dollars on ‘really crazy stuff,’” the AP reports.
“That hasn’t stopped the first-term Ohio senator and Republican vice-presidential nominee from seeking more than $200 million in federal money made available through the law for projects across his state.”
Wall Street Journal: “The epic collapse in New York shows how a fear of dramatic change can give the status quo stubborn power over those trying to solve some of America’s most intractable challenges. That leaves policymakers nibbling at the edges of deeply rooted problems, even after investing huge sums of money and political capital.”
Wall Street Journal: “Automakers are fixated on easing the practical concerns around electric-vehicle ownership, primarily high prices and charging hassles. But in the industry’s quest to persuade more Americans to consider EVs, a swath of the buying public could prove tough to convince: those opposed to EVs for political or ideological reasons.”
“I’m more attuned to all of the different ways you can have a good life, only some of which involve public life.”
— Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, quoted by NOTUS, in how parenthood has changed him. He wouldn’t say if he would continue in his current job if President Biden wins another term.
Politico: “Under the new rule, airlines can’t simply give the passengers a voucher for a future flight. The Transportation Department also issued a rule Wednesday intended to force airlines and third-party ticket bookers to disclose add-on fees for items such as checked bags.”
“It’s a significant advance for the administration’s tough-cop approach to the airline industry.”
President Biden is expected to ask Congress to approve more than $1 billion to help rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Punchbowl News reports.
Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.
Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.
Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.
Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.
Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.
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