Trump Administration

Trump Budget Would Cut PILT Funding to Rural Communities
Sparsely-populated rural counties with large amounts of public land stand to lose the most if the Trump Administration succeeds in cutting funding to the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program.

Public-Private Partnerships: Cost-Effective or Cash Cow?
Public-private partnerships between local governments and private contractors have the Trump Administration's favor. But in a "P3 market in its infancy," can they cut costs or simply line pockets?

Bloomberg Announces $200 Million 'American Cities Initiative'
The former mayor of New York is launching the "American Cities Initiative." The initiative comes with a scathing critique of the federal government's treatment of urban areas.

The State of Affordable Housing
An in-depth feature in Architect magazine surveys the affordable housing landscape and finds architects, planners, and developers trying to find a better way through an inefficient system.

Invasive Fish Encroaching on the Great Lakes While Army Corps Study Languishes
Business interests are likely to clash as fisherman find evidence of the progress of Asian carp toward the Great Lakes. The Trump Administration delayed a study of the issue earlier this year.

Construction, Hospitality Sectors Reporting Workforce Shortages in Texas
Texas has doubled down on the Trump Administration's deportation policies, and business leaders from several sectors in the state are starting to speak up about the policy's effects on the workforce.

Trump Budget Puts Monongahela River Dams and Locks Project at Risk
River infrastructure is often a target for budget cuts in presidential budgets, only to receive funding from Congress. A huge project to replace dams and locks on the Monongahela River hangs in the balance.

Standing Sioux Tribe Wins Court Case on Dakota Access Pipeline
A federal judge ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers failed to fully comply with NEPA in allowing the controversial pipeline to cross under the Missouri River. The judge did not order Energy Transfers Partners to cease operations of the pipeline.

Interior Secretary Wants to Reduce Bears Ears National Monument
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, in an early decision to come of a nationwide review of national monument designations, recommends that President Trump reduce the size of Bears Ears National Monument.

The Two Faces of Trump's Infrastructure Plan
The president spent Infrastructure Week touting a $1 trillion infrastructure investment plan that has yet to materialize, unlike the elimination of an essential grant program in his 2018 budget that will be detrimental to over 50 transit projects.

Trump Ends Infrastructure Week by Streamlining the Permitting Process
President Trump made a compelling case for reducing the length of time needed to construct major infrastructure projects to justify the creation of a new White House council to streamline permitting. Only one problem: it already exists.

Infrastructure Week Begins With Air Traffic Control Modernization
Infrastructure Week 2017 kicked-off Monday with the announcement that the president plans to privatize air traffic control. It won't be the first attempt at modernizing the antiquated system. Additional events planned Wednesday through Friday.

Concern Grows Over the Fate of the Country's 'Largest Land Conservation Feat'
Western governors are concerned with signals from the Trump Administration about its intentions to kill a compromise deal to protect 165 million acres of habitat for the sage grouse.

The Dakota Access Pipeline Now Pumping Oil
Adding insult to injury in a bad week for environmental causes, the Dakota Access pipeline began shipping oil this week.

Lawsuit Targets Lack of Public Information on Trump's Border Wall
The Public Information Act has not been sufficient in getting the Trump Administration to divulge information about its plans to build a wall between the United States and Mexico.

Successful Ballot Measures Spell Doom for Transit Funding in Trump's 2018 Budget
President Trump points to the passage of multi-billion ballot measures last November as proof that federal funding isn't needed to fund transit, justifying elimination of a major grants program. The CEOs of two large transit agencies fight back.

Funds Directed to Transit Projects in 2017 Budget May Not Be Allocated
Funding for Caltrain electrification, which Transportation Secretary Chao approved May 22, is one of 21 transit projects receiving funding in the omnibus spending bill that may be contingent on approval from the Trump Administration.

A Change of Heart by Secretary Chao on California's Oldest Commuter Rail Line
A week ago, Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao indicated she would not sign-off on the $647 million federal grant for the $2 billion Caltrain electrification project. On Monday, she changed her mind.

Trump's Tax Reform Proposal Would Have a Big Effect in the Housing Market
Housing prices may fall 10 percent on average nationwide, according to a preliminary estimate commissioned by the National Association of Realtors, if the Trump Administration's tac code reform package becomes law.

Inside the Interior Department's Review of National Monuments
The fate of 26 national monuments hangs in the balance, as the Interior Department holds a review process. Public comment is open until July 10.
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