A federal judge this week ruled against a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden-Harris</a> administration program that allocated around $37 billion in federal road contracts for businesses owned by women and racial minorities, raising questions about the future of a decades-old affirmative action program.
Since the 1980s, the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program has required around 10% of federal dollars allocated for road construction contracts to go to women and certain racial minorities. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which Biden signed in 2021, reauthorized the DBE and set aside $37 billion for eligible recipients.
This year, two small businesses sued the Transportation Department, saying that the DBE program caused them to lose out on business. On Monday, Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove <a href="https://will-law.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/OPINION.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled</a> that the Biden-Harris administration could not enforce the DBE&#8217;s affirmative action quotas against the businesses.
“The Court is keenly aware of the past discrimination that certain groups of people have faced in this country,” Tatenhove wrote. “And the Court is sure that the federal government has nothing but good intentions in trying to remedy past wrongs. But remedying those wrongs must still pass constitutional muster. The federal government cannot classify people in such a manner that violates the principles of equal protection.”
This is the latest caste that builds off the Supreme Court&#8217;s June 2023 ruling that affirmative action was unconstitutional. One federal judge <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2024-03-06/a-federal-judge-has-ordered-a-us-minority-business-agency-to-serve-all-races" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled</a> that the Minority Business Development Agency needed to be open to working with business owners of all races, while another judge <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/09/07/sba-8a-program-ruling-affirmative-action/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the Small Business Administration could not distribute contracts based on the claim that certain races are inherently disadvantaged.
The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) filed the lawsuit on behalf of Mid-America Milling and Bagshaw Trucking. The businesses, which are owned in part by white males and operate in Kentucky and Indiana, routinely bid on federal contracts. Mid-America says it has lost out on 82 contracts in Indiana since January 2022 because of the DBE program.
In his decision, Van Tatenhove wrote that both companies have “previously lost out on federally funded contracts to DBE firms, even when Plaintiffs’ bids were lower.” 
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726313279401000&amp;usg=AOvVaw115_qPFFEePDP86-Fvo-Vd">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a>
WILL lawyer Daniel Lennington told The Daily Wire that the decision was a major blow for the Biden-Harris administration’s “equity agenda,” which pushes race-based programs throughout the federal government. 
Lennington noted that after a period of discovery, WILL would ask for a final decision from the judge that would block any business from being subject to the DBE program. 
“The DBE program is really baked into the DNA of road building in America and companies all across America just assume that this program is never going to go anywhere,” he said. “We believe that’s unconstitutional and it hurts real people that have real businesses every day.&#8221;

Road Construction As Muni Bond Sales Surge With Debt Met By Eager Investor Demand

Judge Blocks Biden Plan To Give $37 Billion In Construction Contracts To Women And Minorities

Biden Administration

Courts

Department of Transportation

Infrastructure

Racial Discrimination

A federal judge in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/texas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Texas</a> struck down a <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/12/07/2023-26019/national-performance-management-measures-assessing-performance-of-the-national-highway-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rule</a> from the Biden administration that required states and cities to measure and set goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions “associated with transportation.”
The rule, put forth by the Federal Highway Administration, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-sued-over-rule-that-mandates-emissions-standards-for-states" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticized by Republicans</a> who argued that the federal government lacked authority to implement the mandate and that it was an attempt by the Biden administration to impose its climate agenda on conservative states. Texas sued in December to have the rule vacated and a federal judge sided with the state on Wednesday. 
“A federal administrative agency cannot act without congressional authorization. Here, the Federal Highway Administration created a rule requiring the states to measure, report, and set declining targets for the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by vehicles using the interstate and national-highway systems,” <a href="https://subscriber.politicopro.com/eenews/f/eenews/?id=0000018e-855e-dc9c-ab9f-adfe6b270000" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> Judge James Hendrix of the Northern District of Texas.
“Texas sued, alleging that the agency lacked authority to enact the rule. Given the statutory text’s plain language and context, the Court agrees,” Hendrix, a Trump appointee, added. 
In his 49-page decision, Hendrix said that the Department of Transportation had attempted to override the law&#8217;s “clear limitation of authorized performance measures to those that track the physical condition and efficiency of the interstate and national-highway systems.”
He said that in order for the federal government to force states to make greenhouse gas measurements Congress either had to amend 23 U.S. Code Section 150, a federal law related to national highways and interstates, or pass an entirely new law.
“If the people, through Congress, believe that the states should spend the time and money necessary to measure and report GHG emissions and set declining emission targets, they may do so by amending Section 150 or passing a new law,” Hendrix wrote. “But an agency cannot make this decision for the people.”
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The decision was celebrated by Republicans in Congress, including Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO) and Highways and Transit Subcommittee Chairman Rick Crawford (R-AR).
“This was a clear case of blatant overreach by the Biden Administration from the beginning, and we commend the Court for its ruling that a ‘federal administrative agency cannot act without congressional authorization,’” Graves and Crawford said in a statement. “Congress rejected the inclusion of a GHG performance measure requirement when the infrastructure law was developed, making the Administration’s rule making an unlawful attempt to circumvent Congress and force this one-size-fits-all burden upon every state and community across the country.”

US President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and NC governor Roy Cooper in North Carolina

Federal Judge Strikes Down Biden’s Highway Rule Imposing Climate Agenda On States

Climate Change

Texas

Former Transportation Secretary Jim Burnley, who served in the Reagan administration, discussed how the investigation &#8220;should proceed&#8221; in the coming months after the partial <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/baltimore-bridge-collapses-resulting-in-mass-casualty-event-after-its-struck-by-cargo-ship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bridge collapse</a> in Baltimore early Tuesday morning.
Fox News host Laura Ingraham spoke with Burnley after a container ship rammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to break apart. At least half a dozen people are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/6-people-presumed-dead-after-cargo-ship-crash-levels-baltimore-bridge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">presumed dead</a>.
&#8220;You were the transportation secretary in like a golden age of that department in my view, and I&#8217;m not saying it in a biased fashion,&#8221; said Ingraham, who was a speechwriter in the Reagan administration.
&#8220;You were an expert on so many things but tell us what happens next, or what should happen next in this mess of a situation involving a critical port?&#8221; she asked.
&#8220;First let me mention the six apparent fatalities, apparently all highway maintenance workers. That’s one of the most dangerous and under-appreciated jobs in America,&#8221; Burnley said. &#8220;Usually, it’s motorists that threaten them and in this case, a bridge comes down.&#8221;
In the segment, which was <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2024/03/26/jim-burnley-predicts-next-steps-baltimore-bridge-collapse/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highlighted by the Daily Caller</a>, Burnley went on to talk about the National Transportation Safety Board, an independent federal agency <a href="https://www.ntsb.gov/Pages/home.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tasked</a> with determining the probable causes of transportation accidents and issuing safety recommendations.
&#8220;The way this should proceed, and I expect it will proceed, is the investigation will be led by what I believe is the most credible agency in the United States government – that’s the National Transportation Safety Board,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;It is bipartisan. In fact its most recent appointee was chief of staff at DOT [Department of Transportation] during the Trump administration,&#8221; Burnley said. &#8220;It has a highly esteemed group of subject matter experts, it will call on the various federal agencies at DOT, at DHS [Department of Homeland Security] – the Army Corps of Engineers, in this case, will be involved.&#8221;
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Burnley surmised that it will &#8220;probably take quite a few months&#8221; before investigators reach their &#8220;bottom line conclusions&#8221; in looking into the Francis Scott Key Bridge incident.
&#8220;But that’s where we should all be focused, is on that agency and what it concludes,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It will make recommendations that I hope both the Executive Branch and Congress will take very seriously, whatever they are.&#8221;

Jim Burnley and other former transportation secretaries

Former Transportation Secretary Gives Rundown On How Investigation Into Baltimore Bridge Collapse ‘Should Proceed’

Former Transportation Secretary Gives Rundown On How Investigation Into Baltimore Bridge Collapse 'Should Proceed'

Baltimore

Laura Ingraham

Maryland

National transportation Safety Board

Transportation

U.S.

Within their first month in office, the Biden Administration committed all federal agencies to fight the supposed “climate crisis” by aligning their policies with elements of the Paris Agreement and Green New Deal. Congressional Democrats swiftly followed suit — applauding announcements by the Administration to commit U.S. taxpayer money included in the so-called “Inflation Reduction” and “Infrastructure Investment” &amp; Jobs Acts (IRA and IIJA respectively) to force a climate transition. The actions of the Biden Administration mirror the continued corporate activism that’s been injected down Wall Street through the ESG movement.
While Florida has led the nation in combatting the proliferation of ESG within the financial sector, a new fight has emerged, this time within the federal bureaucracy and along our roadways. Recently, state transportation departments have seen a swift uptick in the politicization of infrastructure investments by the Biden Administration. Rather than focusing on road projects to reduce congestion, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is focused on social and environmental justice —neither of which supports the efficient movement of people or our supply chain.
Florida is home to the 14th largest economy in the world and fortunately has the means necessary to fight back against this overreach. So much so that only 25 percent of transportation funds in Florida come from the federal government, and Florida has committed over $64 billion to infrastructure improvements over the next 5 years. This is because of the leadership of Governor DeSantis and the commitment of the Florida Legislature in recognizing that every dollar invested in transportation infrastructure results in up to a $4 return to Florida residents and businesses.  
Recently, climate activists have scrutinized my decision for FDOT to not participate in the IIJA’s “Carbon Reduction” program—a program requiring states to submit “strategies” to reduce carbon emissions throughout our nation’s transportation infrastructure, specifically by tracking and reducing emissions from vehicles. How would states be measured you ask? That’s a great question.
As I stated in my recent <a href="https://fdotwww.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/docs/default-source/communications/11-13-23-fdot-response-letter.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to USDOT, Florida will not participate in programs for which the rules are deliberately arbitrary. Oddly, this is the part most news outlets are not reporting – the “guidance” USDOT promised states for over a year related to this program was never provided. Ultimately, states were forced to put strategies on paper, submit them without proper guidance, and hope they wouldn’t be retroactively punished for not meeting whatever metric USDOT dreamt up after the fact.
Days after these “strategies” were due to USDOT, the department issued a final Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Rule, a rule entirely separate from the carbon reduction program that requires states to set arbitrary CO2 emissions reduction, to track their progress towards said targets, and track their performance. This rule is excessively burdensome on states, expensive to implement, and lacks guidance on what’s considered successful — another clear overreach by the federal government.
The intent of the GHG Emissions Rule was explicitly excluded by Congress during their consideration of the IIJA legislation. Florida has the best air quality on record and consistently commits to projects that protect our natural resources, including protecting our water quality and restoring the Everglades. We’ve prioritized programs to harden our infrastructure to ensure their continued resiliency for decades to come.
Thanks to the leadership of Governor DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody, Florida is proud to join 21 other states in <a href="https://www.myfloridalegal.com/newsrelease/attorney-general-moody-and-governor-desantis-challenge-biden-administration-rule" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filing a federal lawsuit</a> challenging this rule.
The Biden Administration is unilaterally injecting policies into all aspects of American life that are not supported by science or even the letter of the law, the primary objective being absolute control. Initially, they wanted states to simply acknowledge carbon reduction as a necessary goal. This seemingly passive suggestion then transformed into an edict that states must reduce and track CO2 emissions. It is abundantly clear this Administration wants to create a regulatory environment that robs individuals of the liberty to decide what, when, and where they can drive.
The Free State of Florida values freedom, both in how you travel, what you drive, and what fuels your vehicle. Florida continuously strives to lead in infrastructure policy and development. Our state inherently values “fuel freedom” and uses its range of resources to lead the nation in transportation.
Governor DeSantis has been clear that he stands for individuals’ freedoms and that government should create the framework for people to succeed, not tell them how to succeed. These policies – and especially the GHG rule – are perversive towards the actual mission of many DOTs across the country, which is to move people and goods safely and efficiently, not to track, report, and reduce CO2 emissions.
Thankfully, FDOT anticipated this latest example of executive overreach and had the foresight to opt out of legitimizing it. Environmental protection and stewardship is a fundamental priority within every single one of our projects. Florida’s economy is booming, its transportation networks are rapidly advancing, and all the while its natural environment continues to flourish. This is due to the leadership of Floridians, not globalist ideologues whose only familiarity with our state is from their dreams of a better life. 

* * *
 Jared W. Perdue, P.E., is the Secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). Follow him @FDOT_Secretary
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

July 4th Holiday Weekend Expected To Draw Record Numbers Of Travellers To The Highways

Why Florida Rejects ‘Climate Crisis’ On Its Roadways

Why Florida Rejects 'Climate Crisis' On Its Roadways

Florida

Opinion

Readers Pass

Ron DeSantis

Twenty-one states, led by Kentucky Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/daniel-cameron" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daniel Cameron</a>, are challenging a new rule from the Biden administration that would mandate that states create emission standards and report back to the federal government on their progress. 
The rule from the Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) would mandate that state departments of transportation come up with goals to reduce CO2 emissions. The Republican attorneys general say that rule is unconstitutional and would harm rural areas where more driving is necessary. 
“President Biden is unconstitutionally ramming his radical climate agenda through administrative agencies that lack Congressional authority to implement such actions,” Cameron <a href="https://www.kentucky.gov/Pages/Activity-stream.aspx?n=AttorneyGeneral&amp;prId=1492" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “We will not stand by while this administration attempts to circumvent the legislative process.”
The rule, which is <a href="https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/states-sue-biden-administration-over-highway-emissions-rule?utm_source=daily&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">set</a> to go into effect on January 8, &#8220;requires State departments of transportation (State DOT) and metropolitan planning organizations (MPO) to establish declining carbon dioxide (CO2) targets for the GHG measure and report on progress toward the achievement of those targets. The rule does not mandate how low targets must be.&#8221;
The FHWA will also be <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/12/07/2023-26019/national-performance-management-measures-assessing-performance-of-the-national-highway-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener">empowered</a> to “assess whether State DOTs have made significant progress toward achieving their targets.”
A  joint <a href="https://www.ag.ky.gov/Press%20Release%20Attachments/Complaint%20(as%20filed).pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">complaint</a> was filed on Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky by Cameron and the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
&#8220;Congress has not given FHWA or DOT authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions,&#8221; the complaint says. &#8220;Nor can the Agencies compel the States to administer a federal regulatory program or mandate them to further Executive policy wishes absent some other authority to do so — which is lacking as to this rule.”
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The complaint challenges President Joe Biden, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the FHWA, and FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt. It says that the rule is unconstitutional and violates the principles of federalism. 
Montana AG Austin Knudsen said the rule was another aspect of the Biden administration’s attempt to implement a “radical green agenda.”
&#8220;This rule is another unlawful and overreaching regulation by the Biden Administration to force the President’s radical green agenda onto Americans regardless of the costs,” Montana AG Austin Knudsen said. &#8220;This one-size-fits-all approach might work for the Washington, DC bureaucrats who cooked it up, but it won’t work for Montana.&#8221;

President Biden Returns To The White House

Biden Admin Sued Over Rule That Mandates Emissions Standards For States

Carbon Emissions

Daniel Cameron

Joe Biden

Kentucky

Pete Buttigieg

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Wednesday that cars were &#8220;going electric&#8221; whether the people were ready to go along with them or not.
Buttigieg made the comments during a CNN appearance — in response to a question about President Joe Biden&#8217;s visit to speak with striking auto workers on the United Auto Workers (UAW) picket lines in Michigan.
WATCH:
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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg responds to workers&#39; concerns over Biden&#39;s forced &quot;transition&quot; to electric vehicles:
&quot;These cars are going electric with or without us&quot; <a href="https://t.co/lj2ouOIBNp">pic.twitter.com/lj2ouOIBNp</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1707028528191988136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 27, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Transportation Secretary referenced Biden&#8217;s appearance in Michigan and the fact that auto workers have voiced concerns about the transition to electric vehicles — and where that could leave their jobs moving forward.
Buttigieg began with a callback to his hometown of South Bend, Indiana, where he name-dropped two local UAW chapters before pivoting to talk about the economy and the transition to electric vehicles.
&#8220;Look, I come from South Bend, Indiana,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s the home of UAW Local 5 and UAW Local 9, I saw how the past generation of union auto jobs helped build the middle class build communities like the one I grew up in.&#8221;
&#8220;I also saw what happened when those factories closed,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;What the UAW is trying to do right now is to make sure that this next chapter of auto industry, which, let&#8217;s be very clear, these cars are going electric with or without us.&#8221;
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While President Biden was on the picket line in Michigan, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) made an appearance at a UAW protest in Wentzville, Missouri — where he took aim at the Biden administration&#8217;s efforts to force the auto industry to go electric &#8220;with or without&#8221; the workers.
&#8220;I&#8217;d call on the Biden Admin right now: Cancel all of your terrible electric mandates that are killing these guys and taking their jobs,&#8221; Hawley said. &#8220;And these companies &#8230; need to invest in America and in American workers.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
WATCH: Hawley Joins UAW Picket Line In Wentzville, MO
&quot;I&#39;d call on the Biden Admin right now: Cancel all of your terrible electric mandates that are killing these guys and taking their jobs.
&quot;And these companies [&#8230;] need to invest in America and in American workers.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/fMppoa2261">pic.twitter.com/fMppoa2261</a>
&mdash; Senator Hawley Press Office (@SenHawleyPress) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenHawleyPress/status/1706701723325145193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/obamas-car-czar-blasts-biden-for-joining-auto-worker-picket-line">Obama&#8217;s &#8216;Car Czar&#8217; Blasts Biden For Joining Auto Worker Picket Line</a>

Transportation Secretary Buttigieg Testifies In House Oversight Hearing

Pete Buttigieg: ‘Cars Are Going Electric, With Or Without Us’

Pete Buttigieg: 'Cars Are Going Electric, With Or Without Us'

electric vehicles

Energy

Politics

This article is adapted from today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-turns-himself-in-to-authorities-at-miami-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump Arraigned</a>
Former President Donald Trump was arraigned in a Miami federal courtroom earlier this afternoon on 37 felony counts relating to his alleged mishandling of classified documents. The former president pleaded not guilty. Per standard federal court procedure, recording devices were not allowed inside the courthouse. We’ll have more on his court appearance in tomorrow morning’s episode of Morning Wire. 
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/read-it-nashville-school-shooters-autopsy-released" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nashville Shooter Autopsy Released</a>
The autopsy of the Nashville school shooter who killed three children and three adults in March has been released. 
The autopsy report details the results of substance tests, as well as the mass shooter’s injuries before she was fatally shot by responding police officers. Blood, urine, and vitreous-humor tests performed on the shooter did not detect substance or alcohol abuse. The case summary called the shooter “a transgender person” who was “assigned female at birth. The shooter, who identified as male, had previously attended The Covenant School.”
<a href="https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/white-house-bans-trans-activist-who-went-topless-after-meeting-biden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Transgender Activist Banned From White House After Going Topless</a>
President Biden banned a transgender activist from future White House events after a video from the White House’s Pride month celebration on Saturday went viral for all the wrong reasons. The video showed three trans-identifying people going topless during the event.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
GRAPHIC: Trans TikTok &quot;influencer&quot; Rose Montoya, posed topless at Biden&#39;s White House Pride celebration. Next to him is a biological female, also topless, who had her breasts surgically removed. <a href="https://t.co/1cprqxtkcQ">pic.twitter.com/1cprqxtkcQ</a>
&mdash; Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) <a href="https://twitter.com/charliekirk11/status/1668410936259125248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
One of the individuals — who’s now banned — Rose Montoya, a biological male who identifies as a woman, met with the president and first lady at the White House for the event. The White House issued a statement Tuesday afternoon, calling Montoya’s behavior “inappropriate and disrespectful.”
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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/after-over-50-years-the-beatles-will-release-their-last-record" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Beatles To Release New Album With AI Help</a>
With the help of artificial intelligence, the world-famous band The Beatles will release a new record more than 50 Years after the band broke up.
The last Beatles song they recorded collectively was “The End,” from the album “Abbey Road” in 1969. That was the final song of the medley on side two of the album. Bandmate John Lennon was murdered at the age of 40 in December 1980, and George Harrison died of cancer at the age of 58 in 2001. But surviving member Paul McCartney revealed during a radio interview, he will “extricate” Lennon’s voice from an old demo to create the group’s final song, believed to be titled “Now And Then.” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Paul McCartney announcing that there will be a new Beatles song released in 2023: <a href="https://t.co/l9VHelaDr6">pic.twitter.com/l9VHelaDr6</a>
— The Beatles Earth (@BeatlesEarth) <a href="https://twitter.com/BeatlesEarth/status/1668634850906218503?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/11/us/philadelphia-i-95-collapse-fire/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Body Uncovered In Philadelphia I-95 Rubble</a>
A body has been recovered from the rubble and debris following the tragic accident that caused the interstate 95 collapse in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) issued a disaster declaration Monday in the wake of that accident, which was caused after a truck carrying 8,500 gallons of gasoline crashed and ignited a fire. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg visited the site on Tuesday, and gave updates on government coordination.
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MIAMI, FLORIDA – JUNE 13: Former U.S. President Donald Trump waves as he makes a visit to the Cuban restaurant Versailles after he appeared for his arraignment on June 13, 2023 in Miami, Florida. Trump pleaded not guilty to 37 federal charges including possession of national security documents after leaving office, obstruction, and making false statements.

Tuesday Afternoon Update: Trump Arraigned, White House Bans Topless Transgender Activist

Tuesday Afternoon Update:

Artificial Intelligence

Nashville

Philadelphia

The Beatles

The COVID pandemic exposed the weakness of America’s supply chain. Over-regulation, congested ports, and supplier shortages all combined to drive up the price and lead times of the products the United States imports from around the world. The supply chain has recovered, for the most part, as the global economy has slowed and shippers began utilizing ports on the East and Gulf Coasts, alleviating the congestion in the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. 
Today, however, the supply chain is once again teetering on the brink of a catastrophe, this time at the hands of labor unions and mother nature.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), which represents approximately 22,000 West Coast dock workers, reached a tentative agreement with an “association representing the U.S. West Coast employers of <a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/west-coast-port-union-employers-reach-tentative-agreement-some-issues-2023-04-20/">port laborers</a> on some key issues,” in April 2023. These negotiations have been dragging on for nearly a year, and the contract between the “Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and the union expired on July 1, 2022.”
The deal has yet to be ratified, and there are still many open issues that remain to be resolved. <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-06-02/la-oakland-port-terminals-shut-over-congestion-labor-issues?cmpid=BBD060523_TRADE&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_term=230605&amp;utm_campaign=trade">Last week</a>, members of the ILWU effectively “shut down operations at some marine terminals at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Similar actions shut down or severely impacted terminal operations at the ports of Oakland, Tacoma, Seattle, and Hueneme.”
The COVID-driven congestion of West Coast ports, combined with the threat of labor actions by dock workers there, have driven many supply chain professionals to divert shipments to the Gulf and East Coasts of the United States. In fact, according to Bloomberg, “West Coast container volumes were down 10% in the first quarter of 2023, compared to the same period in 2019. Gulf ports saw a 43% increase in goods over the same period.”
But ports in the Gulf and East Coasts may find themselves on the outside looking in. A significant drought is lowering the water level of Gutan Lake in Panama and  the Panama Canal, resulting in both weight limits and rising surcharges for vessels traversing the canal.
The Panama Canal Authority has reduced the draft (how deep a ship can sit in the water) from 50 feet to 44 feet, which can reduce a ship’s payload by up to 40%, per <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-06-02/inflation-rates-may-stay-high-if-panama-canal-drought-snarls-supply-chain?cmpid=BBD060523_TRADE&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_term=230605&amp;utm_campaign=trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bloomberg</a>. Some ocean carriers began charging per-box container fees of $300-500 on June 1 in response to draft limits. Cargo rates will “rise on other routes if low water levels for shippers to find <a href="https://fortune.com/2023/06/02/panama-canal-water-levels-drought-inflation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alternatives</a> — especially in the peak shipping months of August and September when retailers build inventory ahead of the holiday shopping season.”
If the Panama Canal continues to see its depth decrease, and the cost of shipping via the canal rise, companies will have to either utilize the Suez Canal to service East and Gulf Coast ports or rely on West Coast ports — the same ports that are under threat of a work stoppage.
Interestingly, the challenges faced by the Panama Canal could contribute to inflation in the United States, forcing the Federal Reserve to continue increasing interest rates. Steamship companies are raising rates and imposing surcharges for companies shipping via the Panama Canal. Since ships will carry approximately 40% less cargo, companies will need to ship more containers, failing to take advantage of full container load pricing. This will drive inflation. In fact, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261560622001747" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research</a> shows that a 20% increase in shipping costs will raise the inflation rate by 0.15 percentage points one year later.
A West Coast dock workers’ strike, combined with shrinking water levels in the Panama Canal, would have a devastating impact on the U.S. supply chain and the nation’s economy.
One person missing from this discussion is Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. Perhaps ‘Mayor Pete’ has once again gone on vacation, as he did during the negotiations with railroad workers in the Fall of 2022.
Jim Nelles is a Navy veteran and supply chain consultant based in Chicago. His articles have appeared in the Washington Examiner, Newsweek, Foxnews.com, and the Daily Wire. He has served as a chief procurement officer, chief supply chain officer, and chief operations officer for multiple companies.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Container Ship Bow

Buttegieg’s Looming Maritime Supply Chain Crisis

Los Angeles

Panama Canal

Supply Chain

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-transportation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Transportation</a> Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pete-buttigieg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pete Buttigieg</a> announced on Monday that the agency introduced rules requiring <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/air-travel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">airlines</a> to reimburse customers who incur expenses due to certain delayed and canceled flights, a move which comes as the industry faces elevated demand and a constrained labor force.
The proposed rules, which would apply when an airline delays a flight for more than three hours or cancels a flight for a “controllable” reason, would mandate that the firms offer compensation for stranded passengers, as well as a meal or meal voucher, overnight accommodations, and ground transportation between the airport and hotel.
“When an airline causes a flight cancellation or delay, passengers should not foot the bill,” Buttigieg said in a <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/dot-propose-requirements-airlines-cover-expenses-and-compensate-stranded-passengers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>, noting that the proposed reimbursement rules would be the first in American history.
The move comes after Southwest Airlines experienced holiday travel disruptions last year due to extreme winter weather conditions, staff shortages, and an outdated computer system. The carrier canceled thousands of flights days after other carriers had resumed normal operations. Buttigieg <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/buttigieg-sends-brutal-letter-to-southwest-ceo-demanding-airline-follow-through-with-reimbursing-travelers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the company, which has since promised to compensate passengers for all expenses incurred during that time, that the disruptions were “unacceptable” and promised that his agency would exercise “the fullest extent of its investigative and enforcement powers” to ensure customers are reimbursed.
The new proposals also occur as the sector faces a severely limited pool of available pilots and frontline staff. Carriers previously encouraged commercial pilots to retire as worldwide lockdowns caused demand for air travel to plummet in the spring of 2020, worsening a previous trend toward a lack of available pilots. Elevated prices for airline tickets and a rapid return in travel demand, however, are now prompting lawmakers to consider the problem.
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Regional Airline Association CEO Faye Malarkey Black told members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee last month that more than 50% of current pilots would be <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-tsunami-of-commercial-pilot-retirements-is-coming-experts-warn-congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forced</a> to retire within the next 15 years because of federal rules mandating that pilots exit their positions once they reach 65 years of age, even as only 8% of pilots are below 30 years of age due to the high cost of flight education. Buttigieg has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/buttigieg-slams-airlines-for-flight-cancellations-but-rejects-key-reform" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opposed</a> legislation that would increase the retirement threshold to 67 years of age, contending that “the answer is to make sure we have as many and as good pilots ready to take their place, to have a stronger pipeline.”

Airlines May Soon Be On The Hook For Delayed And Canceled Flights, Transportation Dept Says

Air &amp; Space

Air Travel

Secretary of Transportation <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sorry-i-lost-my-train-of-thought-buttigieg-makes-series-of-errors-in-timid-unprepared-east-palestine-appearance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pete Buttigieg</a> is wrong about <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/buttigiegs-focus-is-ramming-through-equity-not-assuring-transportation-safety-his-departments-website-proves-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a lot of things</a>, but the importance of having female crash dummies is not one of them.
Recently, the Biden administration requested $20 million from Congress to create and test a variety of female crash dummies for transportation safety, citing that women are more likely to be injured in car crashes than men. In response, some critics claimed that this was a &#8220;woke&#8221; waste of money.
While the exorbitant fee might be overpriced — it&#8217;s a government project after all — the need for anthropomorphic test devices that anatomically reflect the differences between the sexes isn&#8217;t woke. Far from it. It actually proves there is a biological difference between men and women — something the radical gender ideology advocates deny.
&#8220;I just saw Fox News making fun of me for the work that we&#8217;re doing on safety, including the use of crash test dummies that simulate men, women, and children,&#8221; he said Tuesday evening in an interview with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fa13LIzDpsw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Comedy Central</a>. &#8220;And somehow this is considered a woke priority to have female crash test dummies, even though that&#8217;s something that&#8217;s been around for a very long time.&#8221;
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Buttigieg, believe it or not, is correct here.
Hiring women purely for being women and giving promotions out to minorities because of their skin color is woke. Advancing the rainbow agenda at all costs is woke. Punishing white Americans to rectify past discrimination is woke. Advocating the destruction of the American justice system to root out supposed inequalities is woke.
But making sure that we&#8217;re using models which reflect the contrasts in height, size, and bone density between men and women is not woke.
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For years now, adult crash test dummies have generally been the size of the average adult male. The average size of adult women is obviously smaller than that. They also have breasts. Those distinctions change the level of safety that seatbelts and airbags provide for drivers and passengers — but are not accounted for during testing because the male-sized dummies cannot accurately record potential injuries to women during studies.
In 2013, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration published a safety report which found that women were &#8220;susceptible to neck and abdominal injuries&#8221; and more likely to be killed during a motorist accident, <a href="https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a41871618/crash-test-dummies-female/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Car &amp; Driver</a> reported.
Astrid Linder, director of traffic safety at the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute, also has conducted research that suggests that those accidents can be reduced if they&#8217;re prevented by using female crash dummies to conduct safety tests.
Men and women &#8220;have differences in the shape of the torso and the center of gravity and the outline of our hips and pelvis,&#8221; Linder told media, explaining why female crash dummies are needed.
In turn, manufacturers can change the position of the seatbelt, airbag, and whatever else is needed to make sure both men and women are protected.
Men and women are not the same — spiritually, physically, or biologically. Crash dummies show that, but Buttigieg will never admit it.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Dummy  Pete Buttigieg

Buttigieg Is Right, Female Crash Dummies Aren’t ‘Woke’

 Buttigieg Is Right, Female Crash Dummies Aren't 'Woke'

General

Wokeness

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg appeared to be triggered by claims that he only visited the site of the toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, because former President Donald Trump did it first.
<a href="https://dailywire.com/news/pete-buttigieg-takes-personal-time-in-midst-of-east-palestine-disaster-asks-if-he-can-snap-photo-of-reporter-who-dares-to-question-him/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Buttigieg</a> <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/05/politics/pete-buttigieg-ohio-train-derailment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoke at length</a> on a number of topics with CNN senior reporter Edward-Isaac Dovere, but the topic still drawing the most oxygen is the East Palestine derailment — and while the former mayor conceded a few mistakes, he argued that most of critics were not being fair to him.
Admitting that he should probably have gone to the site of the derailment — which was followed by a massive crash, a toxic chemical spill, and a failed attempt at a controlled burn — much earlier than he did (weeks after the initial crash), <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/pete-buttigiegs-press-secretary-only-wants-to-do-her-job-if-cameras-are-off/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Buttigieg</a> bristled at the idea that he was somehow goaded into making an appearance only after <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/ben-shapiro-tells-megyn-kelly-trump-hit-east-palestine-visit-out-of-the-park/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump showed up</a> with trucks filled with clean drinking water and other supplies.
&#8220;That’s bulls***,&#8221; Buttigieg said. &#8220;We were already going to go.&#8221;
Buttigieg called Trump&#8217;s visit &#8220;somewhat maddening – to see someone who did a lot try to gut not just rail safety regulations, but the EPA, which is the number one thing standing between that community and a total loss of accountability for Norfolk Southern and then show up giving out bottled water and campaign swag?&#8221;
Buttigieg also responded to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/buttigieg-mocked-appearing-wear-dress-boots-while-ground-east-palestine-ohio" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticisms</a> aimed at his footwear — calling those complaints &#8220;maddening&#8221; as well.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Serious question &#8211; does <a href="https://twitter.com/SecretaryPete?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecretaryPete</a> think these are work boots? <a href="https://t.co/ldp08TiEwW">pic.twitter.com/ldp08TiEwW</a>
&mdash; Abigail Jackson 🇺🇸 (@abigailmarone) <a href="https://twitter.com/abigailmarone/status/1628798907768610817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
<p class="paragraph inline-placeholder" data-uri="archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/paragraph_E8B8656C-F738-C80A-0574-A955D833B6E5@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-analytics-observe="off">&#8220;Who cares what shoes I was wearing, when I was there to draw attention to an agenda that will save lives on our railroads?&#8221; he asked.
<p data-uri="archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/paragraph_E8B8656C-F738-C80A-0574-A955D833B6E5@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-analytics-observe="off">The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, went on to lash out at his critics — suggesting that they were the ones who were out of touch.
<p data-uri="archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/paragraph_E8B8656C-F738-C80A-0574-A955D833B6E5@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-analytics-observe="off">&#8220;It’s really rich to see some of these folks – the former president, these Fox hosts – who are literally lifelong card-carrying members of the East Coast elite, whose top economic policy priority has always been tax cuts for the wealthy, and who wouldn’t know their way around a T.J. Maxx if their life depended on it, to be presenting themselves as if they genuinely care about the forgotten middle of the country,&#8221; Buttigieg complained. &#8220;You think Tucker Carlson knows the difference between a T.J. Maxx and a Kohl’s?&#8221;

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Visits Ohio Derailment Site

Pete Buttigieg Triggered By Claims He Only Went To East Palestine Because Trump Did

Disasters

Donald Trump

East Palestine

Ohio Train Disaster

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/baseball" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Baseball</a> fans couldn’t be pleased to learn that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York</a>&#8216;s Department of Transportation misspelled the name of Jackie Robinson Parkway, accidentally writing the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/sports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hall of Famer&#8217;s</a> first name as &#8220;Jakie.&#8221;
The sign is emblazoned with a picture of Robinson, and passersby noticed it read &#8220;Jakie Robinson Parkway&#8221; over the weekend. The roadway runs through two of New York City&#8217;s boroughs, Brooklyn and Queens.
Sports fans are no doubt familiar with Robinson’s many achievements. The baseball legend is known for becoming Major League Baseball&#8217;s first black player in the modern era despite many obstacles. 
Robinson was the first black player to join the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. The six-time all-star batted .313 over his 10-year MLB career, per <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/35752464/jackie-robinson-name-misspelled-new-york-city-road-sign">ESPN</a>. He won the rookie of the year award, an MVP award, a batting title, and won the 1955 World Series championship with the Dodgers.
The baseball legend retired from baseball early in 1957 and went on to become a civil rights activist. Robinson was a spokesperson for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and also made appearances with Martin Luther King, Jr. 
Robinson became the first black person inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Robinson died from a heart attack in 1972 at the age of 53 following previous health complications, including heart disease and diabetes.
That New York stretch of highway was initially named the Interboro Parkway but was renamed in honor of Robinson in 1997 on the 50th anniversary of his rookie season with the Dodgers. 
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Department of Transportation spokesperson Scott Gastel told ESPN that the misspelled sign was replaced as of Monday. Fans were either amused by the mistake or deeply offended, with New York City Councilmember Robert Holden calling it &#8220;a slap in the face,&#8221; per <a href="https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2023/02/28/jackie-robinson-parkway-sign-new-york-typo">Sports Illustrated</a>.

Jackie Robinson At Bat

‘A Slap In The Face’: New York DOT Misspells MLB Legend Jackie Robinson’s Name On Highway Sign

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