#National

New Amtrak CEO has Texas ties, but can he save state’s Eagle route?

Amtrak’s incoming boss has Texas ties, but can he save long-distance passenger rail service in the state? Richard Anderson, 62, a veteran airline executive who most recently ran Delta Air Lines, will take the helm of Amtrak — the nation’s only coast-to-coast passenger rail service — on July 12. He arrives at a time when its long-distance trains are once again on the proverbial chopping block. This spring, the Trump administration unveiled a proposed budget that boasted a $1 t

Cary, N.C., Turns Existing Government Campus into a Simulated Smart City

As cities around the globe adopt new smart cities road maps and strategic plans for new technology implementations, the town of Cary, N.C., has taken an entirely different approach — one that leverages a combination of their existing facilities, citizens and private-sector companies. Rather than overlaying sensors or building new infrastructure from the ground up, Cary is inviting private-sector companies to incubate their technologies inside the existing Town Hall campus — a

U.S. Department of Transportation Launches Infrastructure For Rebuilding America (INFRA) Grant Progr

WASHINGTON - The Department of Transportation (DOT) is announcing the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) discretionary grant program through a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) in the Federal Register today. The INFRA program will make approximately $1.5 billion available to projects that are in line with the Administration’s principles to help rebuild America’s crumbling infrastructure — a priority for this Administration. In addition to providing direct feder

GOP chairman: Trump’s infrastructure plan may slip to next year

Congressional work on President Trump’s $1 trillion infrastructure package may slip to next year, a Republican chairman said Thursday. Lawmakers are facing a pile of other priorities, while the White House has yet to unveil formal legislative text for its massive rebuilding proposal. “They’re supposedly going to submit some sort of plan in the fall, so we’ll see,” Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, told reporters. “We’re

CBO: Debt ceiling will be hit in October

The Congressional Budget Office on Thursday projected that the U.S. Treasury would “most likely” run out of cash in early to mid-October unless Congress raises the debt ceiling. The exact timing is unclear, the CBO said in a new report, as unpredictable swings in revenues and outlays may deplete funds more quickly or slowly than projected. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has urged Congress to lift the debt limit before its August recess, though he has said that the nation c

White House Office of American Innovation Lays Out Priorities

The White House Office of American Innovation announced in March has been an object of fascination among the government community. Led by President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, the collection of White House talent has been described as a “SWAT team of internal consultants” and a liaison between federal bureaucracies and Silicon Valley innovation. Save for a few public appearances by its chief officials and praise from those who’ve worked behind the scenes with the

Trump announces push to speed up 'desperately-needed infrastructure'

President Donald Trump on Friday pledged new efforts to speed approvals for highways and other projects as part of his proposal for a $1 trillion boost to fix aging U.S. infrastructure. At the U.S. Transportation Department, Trump said his goal was to solve "one of the biggest obstacles to creating this new and desperately-needed infrastructure – and that is the painfully slow, costly and time-consuming process for getting permits and approvals to build." Trump said the White

Trump's deregulation order stalls federal high-speed rail rules

Dive Brief: President Donald Trump's efforts at streamlining the country's regulatory process have delayed the issuance of new high-speed safety rules, according to Bloomberg BNA. The problem lies with Trump's executive order that requires federal agencies to eliminate two regulations for every new one that they issue. Industry experts told Bloomberg BNA that a lack of safety rules creates an environment of uncertainty in an industry that is trying to gain traction in the U.S

How cities can help supply chains perfect the last mile

Urban freight is expected to increase 40% by 2050, going hand-in-hand with the slew of retail stores closing due to e-commerce growth. That means more trucks on the road, clogging precious residential and downtown street space while making deliveries. “Where you now see UPS and FedEx trucks in neighborhood once a day, you will see them four to five times a day, plus the smaller players,” says Andre Pharand, Accenture’s global management consulting lead for the postal and parc

Stan the Robot will park your car at Paris-Charles De Gaulle airport

Parisian firm Stanley Robotics has created a robot called Stan that can drop and pick up your car for you at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. The robot picks up your car close to the terminals, so travelers do not have to lug their bags to check in, and takes it to a secure car park. The system is connected to your flight details, so your car will be in the garage and ready to leave when you get back from your trip. As well as making things easier for holiday makers, Stan can

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