In 2008, California voters approved plans to build a high-speed rail line connecting Los Angeles to San Francisco, a roughly 500-mile stretch that would be <a href="https://hsr.ca.gov/high-speed-rail-in-california/">covered</a> in less than three hours. The project, pushed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom when he was mayor of San Francisco, was a major investment from the state and federal government, promising to kickstart the development of high-speed rail in the United States. 
That was more than 16 years ago. Since then, the estimated cost for the project has skyrocketed while the initial goal for the length of the high-speed rail has shrunk. Now, the Trump administration is <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-releases-report-exposing-no-viable-path">threatening</a> to pull all federal funding for the project, saying that the state has “not laid a single high-speed track.” In 2010, the project was awarded $929 million from the federal government, and just last year, under the Biden administration, the high-speed rail project received another <a href="https://hsr.ca.gov/2023/12/05/news-release-high-speed-rail-authority-to-receive-record-3-1-billion-from-biden-administration/?fbclid=IwAR32NHBuP8XAOTtGOnQwVzIbtBoaX9Ac2pH_jreJWIUcInwUE5zB8APlLGs">$3.1 billion</a>. 
According to a 2023 <a href="https://calmatters.org/economy/2023/03/california-high-speed-rail/">report</a> from Cal Matters, the estimated cost for completing just a fraction of the total project is now higher than the original $33 billion estimate that voters approved for the L.A. to San Francisco route. Completing the whole project, which the state says will “eventually extend to Sacramento and San Diego, totaling 800 miles with up to 24 stations,” is estimated to cost up to $128 billion, leaving California around $100 billion short in funding, according to the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-03-21/high-speed-rail">Los Angeles Times</a>.
The first phase of California’s high-speed rail plan is much smaller than the original goal to connect San Francisco to Los Angeles. Currently, the state is still trying to build a 119-mile track connecting Merced to Bakersfield, called the &#8220;initial operating segment&#8221; or &#8220;early operating segment.&#8221; California is targeting a 2033 finish date for this first step, but the Trump administration <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-releases-report-exposing-no-viable-path">argues</a> that the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) doesn&#8217;t have &#8220;a viable path&#8221; to accomplish this first-phase goal by the deadline, let alone the 800-mile high-speed rail.
Newsom said last month that workers have begun the first phase of the project, “laying the tracks to get to where they start to lay the tracks.&#8221;
&#8220;It’s a technical way of actually doing the development in phases, so real tracks are being laid, and the formal track that will be the first-in-the-nation high-speed rail track is about to take place,&#8221; the governor added. 
<div id="attachment_929263" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-929263" class="wp-image-929263 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206305373-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206305373-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206305373-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206305373-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206305373-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206305373-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206305373-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206305373-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />A cherry picker during the construction of a high-speed rail project in Madera County, California, US, on Monday, March 24, 2025. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy poured cold water on Newsom&#8217;s hopes on Wednesday, <a href="https://x.com/SecDuffy/status/1930265652553531425">saying</a> that his department “has found that the California high speed rail project is in default of its federal grant awards totaling $4 billion.” 
“Here’s the cold, hard truth — there’s no viable path to complete the rail project on time or on budget,” Duffy added. “California is on notice — If they can’t deliver on their end of the deal, it could soon be time for these funds to flow to other projects that can achieve @POTUS’ vision of building great, big, beautiful things again.”
Duffy’s announcement comes on the back of a months-long Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) investigation into the CHSRA. In its review, the FRA <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-releases-report-exposing-no-viable-path">found</a> that California “does not have a viable path to complete” the project by the 2033 target date, adding that “CHSRA has at least a $7 billion funding gap to complete the EOS [Early Operating Segment] with no credible plan to secure additional funds.” 
So what happened to this major project? According to the Trump administration, the CHSRA’s “mistakes and mismanagement” have raised a “reasonable question about whether continued Federal investment in the CHSR System is a prudent use of taxpayer dollars.”
<div id="attachment_929265" style="width: 900px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-929265" class="wp-image-929265 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2201813345-890x576.jpg" alt="" width="890" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2201813345-890x576.jpg 890w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2201813345-300x194.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2201813345-768x497.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2201813345.jpg 1140w" sizes="(max-width: 890px) 100vw, 890px" />A rendering shows a high-speed rail train as it enters a station during an informational open house by the California High-Speed Rail Authority at the Hilton DoubleTree in downtown Fresno on Wednesday, May 1, 2024 (via Getty Images).</div>
Newsom, who joined then-Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as an early supporter of the high-speed rail project, has <a href="https://enewspaper.latimes.com/infinity/article_share.aspx?guid=4fa48cb5-20c1-4a92-baf8-39a76dbb2a38#:~:text=SACRAMENTO%20%E2%80%94%20While%20mayor%20of%20San%20Francisco%2C,state%20bond%20measure%20to%20help%20build%20it">flip-flopped</a> his position on it through the years. Six years after pushing the project, he bemoaned the rising costs and delays and pulled his support, according to the Los Angeles Times. Just two years later, he again endorsed the project. 
Labor unions are also a major player pushing the $128 billion project, the L.A. Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-06-09/labor-unions-power-california-high-speed-rail-decisions">reported</a> in 2021. The State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, which represents 450,000 workers, has been a powerful voice behind the high-speed rail project despite the continued questions and criticisms swirling over the plan. The CHSRA <a href="https://hsr.ca.gov/2023/11/17/news-release-california-high-speed-rail-partners-with-labor-on-operating-nations-first-high-speed-rail-project/">partnered</a> with 13 rail labor unions to &#8220;cover an estimated 3,000 workers who will operate and maintain high-speed trains, facilities, and stations from the Bay Area through the Central Valley and into Southern California.&#8221;
Union support for the high-speed rail was a major reason Newsom flipped back to endorsing the project, according to the Times.
Newsom claims the project has made progress and remains on track to bring high-speed rail to the state. When asked about the project on Tuesday, the governor&#8217;s office directed The Daily Wire to the CHSRA and highlighted a clip of Newsom addressing the issue during a press conference on the state budget last month. In the clip, Newsom <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOeniD3QFqs&amp;t=7053s">commented</a> on the high-speed rail plan, saying, “You can see the progress we’ve actually made.” 
“We’re now on the other side of the environmental reviews. We’re on the other side of the land acquisition,” Newsom said. 
Newsom also pointed to a high-speed rail project in Texas that promised to connect Houston to Dallas, but the plan was <a href="https://www.railwaygazette.com/infrastructure/texas-high-speed-rail-project-grant-cancelled/68678.article#:~:text=USA%3A%20Transportation%20Secretary%20Sean%20Duffy,Texas%20High%2DSpeed%20Rail%20Corridor.">scrapped</a> in April after the Trump administration pulled funding from it. 
A CHSRA spokesperson told The Daily Wire in an email that it &#8220;strongly disagrees with the FRA’s conclusions, which are misguided and do not reflect the substantial progress made to deliver high-speed rail in California.&#8221;
&#8220;We remain firmly committed to completing the nation’s first true high-speed rail system connecting the major population centers in the state. While continued federal partnership is important to the project, the majority of our funding has been provided by the state,&#8221; the spokesperson added. &#8220;To that end, the Governor’s budget proposal, which is currently before the Legislature, extends at least $1 billion per year in funding for the next 20 years, providing the necessary resources to complete the project’s initial operating segment. The Authority will fully address and correct the record in our formal response to the FRA’s notice.”

Gavin Newsom

Trump Admin Ready To Pull The Plug On California High-Speed Rail Boondoggle

California

Department of Transportation

Donald Trump

Sean Duffy

Transportation

Trump Administration

On Thursday, the GOP-led Senate voted to overturn a Biden administration move that powered California&#8217;s green energy agenda for cars and trucks that 11 other states have <a href="https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/advanced-clean-cars-program/states-have-adopted-californias-vehicle-regulations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sought</a> to adopt.
Fifty Republicans and one Democrat <a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00277.htm#position" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banded together</a> to revoke the Clean Air Act waiver the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/12/18/epa-california-electric-vehicles-waiver" target="_blank" rel="noopener">granted</a> in December to the Golden State that allowed it to proceed with a plan to ban the sale of new gas-powered light-duty vehicles by 2035.
Because the Republican-controlled House already <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025114?Date=05%2F01%2F2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> the resolution of disapproval, the measure now heads to President Donald Trump. California has signaled that it is prepared to file a legal challenge.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), who is the chairwoman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, spearheaded the effort in the upper chamber to repeal the waiver.
&#8220;The impact of California’s waiver would have been felt across the country, harming multiple sectors of our economy and costing hundreds of thousands of jobs in the process,&#8221; Capito said in a <a href="https://www.capito.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senate-passes-capito-resolution-to-end-californias-ev-mandate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. &#8220;I’m proud to have led this effort to protect American workers and consumers from this radical and drastic policy.&#8221;
President Donald Trump weighed in on the issue during his presidential campaign at a rally in Saginaw, Michigan.
“When I&#8217;m president, no state in America will be permitted to ban gas-powered cars or trucks, and I guarantee it,&#8221; Trump said.
Senate Republicans used the Congressional Review Act (CRA), which allows bypassing a filibuster to undo regulations, to pass the resolution. Under this process, Lawmakers also voted to strike down waivers related to emissions for heavier-duty vehicles.
The Government Accountability Office (<a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/b-337179" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GAO</a>) and Senate <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5233436-senate-parliamentarian-says-lawmakers-cant-overturn-california-car-rules-but-republicans-may-try-anyway/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">parliamentarian</a> advised that the waivers are not rules that qualify for CRA, but The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5312952-thune-creates-procedure-ev-mandate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on how Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) used a series of procedural votes to alleviate concerns by some of his GOP colleagues.
On X, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) accused Republicans of trying to &#8220;appease the fossil fuel industry.&#8221; He also <a href="https://x.com/SenSchumer/status/1925290705502577129" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> they were &#8220;hijacking the CRA process in a way that’s never been done before&#8221; and warned: &#8220;What goes around when you’re in the majority comes around when you’re back in the minority.&#8221;
The one Democrat who joined with Republicans and spurned California was Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).
&#8220;Today, I voted to prevent California and the states that follow its standard from effectively banning gas-powered cars by 2035,&#8221; she <a href="https://x.com/SenatorSlotkin/status/1925590423944257939" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> in a statement. &#8220;Michigan is the auto capital of the world, and as Michigan&#8217;s U.S. Senator, I have a special responsibility to stand up for the more than one million Michiganders whose livelihoods depend on the U.S. auto industry.&#8221;
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, <a href="https://x.com/AGRobBonta/status/1925624592481026347" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> his state was ready to fight in court.
&#8220;Since the Senate is caving to the Trump Admin’s demands, we will sue to protect California’s longstanding authority to maintain clean vehicle standards,&#8221; Bonta said. &#8220;President Trump may be playing partisan games with lives and good paying jobs on the line — but California won’t back down.&#8221;
Jayden Jelso contributed to this report.

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)

Republicans Set To Block California’s ‘Radical’ Gas Car Ban

Biden Administration

Carbon Emissions

Chuck Schumer

Congress

Electric cars

John Thune

Shelley Moore Capito

U.S.

U.S. Senate

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order Monday requiring truckers to display proficiency in English, citing road safety concerns.
The move will reverse a 2016 memo from the Obama administration, which told the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that it was <a href="https://hageman.house.gov/media/in-the-news/lawmaker-asks-dot-reverse-obama-era-english-proficiency-memo">not required</a> to place drivers who could not read English out of service.
“President Trump believes that English is a non-negotiable safety requirement for professional drivers, as they should be able to read and understand traffic signs, communicate with traffic safety officers, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station personnel, and provide and receive feedback and directions in English,” a White House <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/04/28/exclusive-trump-to-sign-order-ensuring-truckers-can-speak-english/">document</a> first viewed by Breitbart News explains.
It goes on to explain that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will be required to “rescind and replace guidance to strengthen inspection procedures for compliance with English proficiency requirements.”
The impending order, which is expected to be signed at 5 p.m. Eastern time on Monday, will mandate the revision of “out-of-service criteria to ensure drivers violating English proficiency rules are placed out-of-service, enhancing roadway safety.”
Representative Harriet Hageman (R-WY) and Kevin Hawley, the President of the Wyoming Trucking Association, recently called for the federal government to enforce requirements that truckers be proficient in English.
“Many of our members have expressed frustration and concern over safety issues involving drivers who lack English proficiency — particularly those who are unable to read highway signs or communicate effectively during inspections or emergencies,” Hawley said, adding that the concerns are rooted in “a strong, shared commitment to safety.”
Trump’s impending order comes after the 47th president signed an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/designating-english-as-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/">executive order</a> designating English as the official language of the United States.
“To promote unity, cultivate a shared American culture for all citizens, ensure consistency in government operations, and create a pathway to civic engagement, it is in America’s best interest for the Federal Government to designate one — and only one — official language,” the order asserted, adding that the decision will “reinforce shared national values, and create a more cohesive and efficient society.”

Trucks at truck stop

Trump To Sign Executive Order Requiring Truckers To Be Proficient In English

English

Executive

Executive Orders

Politics

Multiple members of Congress experienced a frightening incident on Thursday when their plane was clipped by another aircraft on the ground at Reagan National Airport in the Washington, D.C., area.
Lawmakers posted about their experience on X, stressing that people on board their flight were unharmed.
&#8220;Serving in Congress has come with some once in a lifetime experiences… like just now while stationary on the runway at DCA, another plane just bumped into our wing. Heading back to the gate, but thankfully everyone is ok!&#8221; Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY) <a href="https://x.com/RepLaLota/status/1910378262506729695" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X.
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Serving in Congress has come with some once in a lifetime experiences… like just now while stationary on the runway at DCA, another plane just bumped into our wing. Heading back to the gate, but thankfully everyone is ok! (And ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/RepGraceMeng?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepGraceMeng</a>⁩ is handing out grapes!) <a href="https://t.co/bOo1JNXZDh">pic.twitter.com/bOo1JNXZDh</a>
&mdash; Congressman Nick LaLota (@RepLaLota) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepLaLota/status/1910378262506729695?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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He also noted that Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) was handing out grapes to people on board their plane.
&#8220;Glad my colleagues and I are okay! We are safely waiting on the tarmac, but we may need more snacks,&#8221; Grace <a href="https://x.com/RepGraceMeng/status/1910386638825365895" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a>. &#8220;I&#8217;m grateful no one was hurt today, but this incident underscores [the] urgent need [to] restore all FAA jobs that keep our runways safe.&#8221;
Meng later posted a video showing what she said were crews fixing the wing on their plane.
&#8220;Fortunately, everyone is okay &amp; we&#8217;re heading back to New York soon. Thank you to all who reached out with your concerns!&#8221; she <a href="https://x.com/RepGraceMeng/status/1910398067389382860" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a> in the post.
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While waiting on the runway to fly out of DC today, another plane clipped the wing of the plane my colleagues and I were on. Fortunately, everyone is okay &amp; we&#39;re heading back to New York soon. Thank you to all who reached out with your concerns! <a href="https://t.co/MAbN2E4dcW">pic.twitter.com/MAbN2E4dcW</a>
&mdash; Grace Meng (@RepGraceMeng) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepGraceMeng/status/1910398067389382860?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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In a <a href="https://x.com/davidshepardson/status/1910392673782943921" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> announcing &#8220;preliminary&#8221; information, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the wingtip of American Airlines Flight 5490 &#8220;struck&#8221; American Airlines Flight 4522 on a taxiway at Reagan National Airport around 12:45 p.m. local time.
&#8220;Flight 5490, a Bombardier CRJ 900, was headed to Charleston International Airport in South Carolina. Flight 4522, an Embraer E175, was headed to JFK International Airport in New York. The FAA will investigate,&#8221; the agency added.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority confirmed that no one was hurt, noted that both planes returned to gates, and stated that airport operations were not impacted, according to <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/wingtip-plane-hits-taxiway-reagan-airport-faa/story?id=120687405&amp;cid=social_twitter_abcn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC News</a>.
American Airlines said &#8220;the damage was limited to a winglet on each aircraft&#8221; and the planes &#8220;have been taken out of service to be inspected,&#8221; per the same <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/wingtip-plane-hits-taxiway-reagan-airport-faa/story?id=120687405&amp;cid=social_twitter_abcn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news outlet</a>. &#8220;Safety is our top priority, and we apologize to our customers for their experience.&#8221;
Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) <a href="https://x.com/RepGregoryMeeks/status/1910402204789260659" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared</a> that seven members of Congress, including himself, were on board the plane that was clipped, along with dozens of other passengers.
The scare comes a couple months after a mid-air <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-suggests-airport-tower-understaffed-at-time-of-collision-had-been-for-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">collision</a> between an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk Helicopter near Reagan National Airport that killed 67 people aboard the aircraft.

Jet Takes Off in Washington

Aircraft Carrying Members Of Congress Clipped By Another Plane

Air Travel

U.S. House of Representatives

Washington D.C.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sought on Monday to assuage concerns about air traffic safety after a number of high-profile plane incidents took place during the first month of the Trump administration as efforts to trim the &#8220;fat&#8221; are underway.
During an interview with Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer, Duffy acknowledged that the Department of Transportation (DOT) has fired hundreds of employees at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), but he emphasized they were people who were recently hired.
&#8220;There&#8217;s fat everywhere in government, and in DOT as well. But let&#8217;s be clear. At FAA, we cut 352 people out of 46,000 people. That is 0.8% of the workforce. These were probationary workers. They were employed for less than a year at DOT,&#8221; Duffy said.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecDuffy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDuffy</a>: &quot;We kept all of the critical safety positions. We actually hired more positions in critical safety, like air traffic controllers&#8230; for people to say that because we cut 352 people out of 46,000 — that that&#39;s a risk to safety — give me a break.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/4QEeWgAj4G">pic.twitter.com/4QEeWgAj4G</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1894047345815232922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Duffy stressed that these employees who were let go were not veterans of the department needed to help keep transportation systems running smoothly, an assurance that followed recent air travel disasters such as the deadly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-suggests-airport-tower-understaffed-at-time-of-collision-had-been-for-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">collision</a> between a military helicopter and passenger jet in the Washington, D.C., area and mid-air plane <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/midair-plane-collision-in-arizona-kills-at-least-two" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crash</a> in Arizona.
&#8220;These weren&#8217;t the old school, really ingrained employees of the DOT. And not only that, we kept all of the critical safety positions. And we actually hired more positions in critical safety, like air traffic controllers. We hired more inspectors for things like pipelines and for aircraft,&#8221; Duffy said.
&#8220;So, again, we have a safety mission, but for people to say that because we cut 352 people out of 46,000 — that that&#8217;s a risk to safety — give me a break. I mean that&#8217;s just plain politics as opposed to saying let&#8217;s cut the fat,&#8221; Duffy added.
Duffy also <a href="https://x.com/RedWave_Press/status/1894052581082570788" target="_blank" rel="noopener">talked</a> about the email first announced over the weekend by Elon Musk, who is overseeing President Donald Trump&#8217;s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-senators-cant-escape-elon-musk-asking-what-they-got-done-last-week" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requesting</a> that federal employees provide five things they accomplished in the past week. While other agency leaders have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-officials-tell-employees-not-to-respond-to-musks-productivity-email?topStoryPosition=undefined" target="_blank" rel="noopener">instructed</a> their workers not to respond, the Transportation Secretary said he did not object.
&#8220;At DOT, I have no problem with employees here saying, &#8216;What did you do last week?&#8217; and if you can’t come up with five things that you did, maybe you shouldn’t be employed here,&#8221; Duffy said. &#8220;Again, this is an easy task. It happens in the private sector all the time. And so I wanted all our employees to actually engage and talk about what they did.&#8221;
He added: &#8220;I think this whole movement, Bill, is potentially going to make people go, &#8216;I&#8217;m going to come to work earlier.&#8217; &#8216;I&#8217;m going to stay later.&#8217; &#8216;I&#8217;m going to look at what Donald Trump wants me to accomplish because he won the election, and I&#8217;m going to fight and work to make sure I help him accomplish that because I&#8217;m a public servant.'&#8221;
Duffy even posted his own list of five things he accomplished last week in a post to X:
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Mr. President, 5 things I did last week:
1. Terminated NYC elitist, anti-worker congestion pricing. 2. Launched an investigation into the $16 billion in taxpayer dollars wasted on a high-speed rail project that, after 17 years, has yet to lay a single mile of track. 3. Saved $10…
&mdash; Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDuffy/status/1894031690256818515?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy

FAA Cut Probationary Workers, Added ‘Critical Safety’ Positions, Duffy Says

Air and Space

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy slammed his predecessor, Pete Buttigieg, this week on social media as Buttigieg tried to imply that recent government cutbacks could have led to plane crashes that have occurred since the Trump administration took over.
&#8220;The flying public needs answers,&#8221; Buttigieg <a href="https://x.com/PeteButtigieg/status/1891486255889731993">posted</a> on X on Monday. &#8220;How many FAA personnel were just fired? What positions? And why?&#8221;
His post comes as there have been several recent plane crashes, including a commercial airliner that collided with a helicopter in Washington, D.C., late last month.
&#8220;Mayor Pete failed for four years to address the air traffic controller shortage and upgrade our outdated, World War II-era air traffic control system,&#8221; Duffy responded. &#8220;In less than four weeks, we have already begun the process and are engaging the smartest minds in the entire world.&#8221;
&#8220;Here’s the truth: the FAA alone has a staggering 45,000 employees,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Less than 400 were let go, and they were all probationary, meaning they had been hired less than a year ago. Zero air traffic controllers and critical safety personnel were let go.&#8221;
Duffy said that Buttigieg used the Department of Transportation as &#8220;a slush fund for the green new scam and environmental justice nonsense.&#8221;
&#8220;Not to mention that over 90% of the workforce under his leadership were working from home &#8211; including him. The building was empty!&#8221; he continued. &#8220;When we finally get a full accounting of his mismanagement, I look forward to hearing from him.&#8221;
Buttigieg&#8217;s criticisms of Duffy come as he is considering a run for U.S. Senate in Michigan following the unexpected retirement of Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), who said last month that he would not run for re-election in 2026.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Mayor Pete failed for four years to address the air traffic controller shortage and upgrade our outdated, World War II-era air traffic control system. In less than four weeks, we have already begun the process and are engaging the smartest minds in the entire world.
Here’s the… <a href="https://t.co/LCL1dswC2T">https://t.co/LCL1dswC2T</a>
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDuffy/status/1891656952662405304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2025</a></blockquote>

Senate Commerce, Science, And Transportation Committee Holds Confirmation Hearing For Sean Duffy

Sean Duffy Shreds Pete Buttigieg Over Problems At FAA

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

General

Pete Buttigieg

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy will welcome a team from SpaceX to the Air Traffic Control System Command Center in Virginia on Monday as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) looks to Elon Musk&#8217;s company for advice on making &#8220;a new, better, modern and safer system.&#8221;
SpaceX, the leading rocket and spacecraft company in the world, will visit the FAA&#8217;s command center shortly after multiple deadly plane crashes sent shockwaves through the United States in recent weeks. In a <a href="https://x.com/SecDuffy/status/1891310401800872114" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> on X on Sunday, Duffy said he wants to seek &#8220;advice from the brightest minds in America&#8221; to follow through on President Donald Trump&#8217;s desire to improve the country&#8217;s air traffic control system.
&#8220;I’m asking for help from any high-tech American developer or company that is willing to give back to our country,&#8221; Duffy wrote. &#8220;Tomorrow, members of @elonmusk’s SpaceX team will be visiting the Air Traffic Control System Command Center in VA to get a firsthand look at the current system, learn what air traffic controllers like and dislike about their current tools, and envision how we can make a new, better, modern and safer system.&#8221;
Musk replied to Duffy&#8217;s post, writing, &#8220;The safety of air travel is a non-partisan matter. SpaceX engineers will help make air travel safer.&#8221;
As the Trump administration continues to give Musk and his team at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project more power and oversight of federal government agencies, Duffy attempted to get ahead of any criticism over his invitation to the SpaceX team.
&#8220;Because I know the media (and Hillary Clinton) will claim Elon’s team is getting special access, let me make clear that the [FAA] regularly gives tours of the command center to both media and companies,&#8221; he wrote.
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The Trump administration fired around 400 probationary FAA workers over the weekend, according to the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, a union representing FAA and Department of Defense employees. Those terminated included environmental compliance workers, aeronautical information specialists, maintenance workers, and mechanics, USA Today <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/17/faa-workers-fired-trump-plane-helicopter-collision/78956241007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
On January 29, just over a week after Trump took office, an American Airlines flight with 64 people on board collided midair with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River. All 64 on the American Airlines flight, along with three servicemembers on the helicopter, died in the crash, marking the first deadly commercial plane crash on U.S. soil since 2009. Days later, a medical jet with six people on board crashed in Philadelphia, killing everyone on the plane and one person on the ground.
Federal investigators are trying to determine the cause of the midair collision over the Potomac. On Friday, the National Transportation Safety Board said the Black Hawk helicopter could have had bad data, making one pilot believe they were flying at 300 feet while the other pilot thought they were at 400 feet. The NTSB added that air traffic control&#8217;s instructions for the helicopter to go behind the incoming American Airlines flight could have been missed if one of the pilots keyed her radio at the same time as the message from air traffic control came through, ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/dc-plane-crash-new-details-emerge-ntsb-investigation/story?id=118820142" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Following the collision, President Trump said his administration would &#8220;restore faith in American air travel,&#8221; adding that air traffic controllers must be &#8220;our smartest people.&#8221;
&#8220;It doesn’t matter what they look like, how they speak, who they are. &#8230; They have to be talented, naturally talented. Geniuses. Can’t have regular people doing their job,&#8221; Trump said in a White House press briefing.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-initiates-review-of-all-faa-workers-in-critical-safety-positions">Trump Initiates Review Of All FAA Workers In &#8216;Critical Safety Positions&#8217;</a>

Elon Musk

SpaceX Team To Visit FAA Command Center, Advise Transportation Secretary On ‘Safer System’

SpaceX

New details indicate the air traffic control tower at Reagan National Airport in the Washington, D.C., area was understaffed when a nearby helicopter <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/plane-crash-halts-all-flights-at-ronald-reagan-washington-national-airport" target="_blank" rel="noopener">collided</a> with a passenger jet on Wednesday night.
An internal preliminary report from the Federal Aviation Administration (<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/federal-aviation-administration-faa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FAA</a>) said that staffing at the tower was &#8220;not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic,&#8221; <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/01/29/us/plane-crash-washington-dc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to The New York Times</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“The tower was nearly a third below targeted staff levels, with 19 fully certified controllers as of Sept. ***2023***… The shortage — caused by ***years*** of employee turnover and tight budgets, among other factors — has forced many controllers to work up to six days a week…” <a href="https://t.co/f78yCtL21j">https://t.co/f78yCtL21j</a>
&mdash; Jerry Dunleavy IV 🇺🇸 (@JerryDunleavy) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryDunleavy/status/1885064348814504313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The newspaper said the controller who was dealing with helicopters around the airport was also instructing planes that were landing and departing, tasks which are typically assigned to multiple people.
Also mentioned by The New York Times was how the Reagan airport tower had been understaffed for years, part of a nationwide shortage that has led to many controllers working long hours, up to six days a week.
The newspaper further explained that the Reagan airport tower was nearly a third below targeted staff levels, with 19 fully certified controllers as of September 2023 reported to Congress in an FAA <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20241225184848/https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/afn-aba-20240509-cwp.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">workforce plan</a>.
Search efforts in the Potomac River began immediately after the mid-air crash between an American Airlines jet with 60 passengers and four crew on board and an Army Black Hawk Helicopter carrying three soldiers.
President Donald Trump <a href="https://x.com/cspan/status/1885002717858263358" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Thursday afternoon, &#8220;Sadly, there are no survivors. This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation&#8217;s capital and in our nation&#8217;s history and a tragedy of terrible proportions.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
President Trump on DCA helicopter-plane crash: &quot;Sadly, there are no survivors. This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation&#39;s capitol and in our nation&#39;s history and a tragedy of terrible proportions.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/ZzeXygwpAr">pic.twitter.com/ZzeXygwpAr</a>
&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1885002717858263358?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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National Transportation Safety Board officials <a href="https://x.com/ABC/status/1885056794378015045" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> their agency plans to release a preliminary report on the D.C. crash &#8220;within 30 days&#8221; followed by a final report when an investigation has been completed.
The mid-air collision follows the Senate confirmations in the past week of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, both of whom have responded to the tragedy.
&#8220;What happened today should never have happened. I want the families of the victims to know that they have my word: I will not rest until you have the truth,&#8221; Duffy <a href="https://x.com/SecDuffy/status/1885017745244237898" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a series of posts to X.
&#8220;I will find answers to how this happened. I have directed every relevant agency to immediately investigate what went wrong, and I will not tolerate delays or bureaucratic excuses,&#8221; the secretary added.
He concluded by saying: &#8220;If there was negligence, incompetence, or failure anywhere in the system, we will find it — and I will fix it. I will provide further updates as we uncover the facts.&#8221;

Emergency Crews Respond To Aircraft Crash Near Reagan National Airport

Report Suggests Airport Tower Understaffed At Time Of Collision, Had Been For Years

Plane Crash

On Tuesday, the GOP-led <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> confirmed the nomination of Sean Duffy to become <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/transportation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">transportation</a> secretary in President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a>&#8216;s second administration.
Senators voted 77-22 to confirm Duffy, a former Republican congressman from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/wisconsin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wisconsin</a> and ex-Fox Business host, who has pledged to focus on cutting red tape and improving travel safety in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/cabinet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cabinet</a> role. A number of Democrats joined with Republicans in approving the confirmation, but others voted against it amid a <a href="https://x.com/ElizLanders/status/1884294342497776097" target="_blank" rel="noopener">protest</a> against Trump&#8217;s <a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-pause-federal-grants-aid-f9948b9996c0ca971f0065fac85737ce" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pause</a> on federal grants and loans after the Senate unanimously advanced Duffy&#8217;s nomination the night before.
&#8220;Sean Duffy understands the transportation challenges that rural states like South Dakota face, and he’ll bring valuable experience that will help him manage our nation’s sprawling transportation system,&#8221; Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) <a href="https://x.com/LeaderJohnThune/status/1884013680519692595" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X. &#8220;I look forward to working with him in his new role.&#8221;
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sean-duffy-to-be-trumps-transportation-secretary-will-end-dei-for-pilots" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> the nomination in November, noting how Duffy worked with Democrats during his time in Congress to enact <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/st-croix-bridge-legislation-signed-into-law/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a $700 million project</a> for the construction of a four-lane bridge between Wisconsin and Minnesota.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨 NEW: President Trump announces the nomination of former Congressman <a href="https://twitter.com/SeanDuffyWI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SeanDuffyWI</a> as Secretary of Transportation. <a href="https://t.co/Sk3rn5IWKR">pic.twitter.com/Sk3rn5IWKR</a>
&mdash; Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1858648706708631782?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;He will prioritize Excellence, Competence, Competitiveness, and Beauty when rebuilding America’s highways, tunnels, bridges, and airports,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://x.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1858648706708631782" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;He will ensure our ports and dams serve our Economy without compromising our National Security, and he will make our skies safe again by eliminating DEI for pilots and air traffic controllers.&#8221;
Underscoring the bipartisan nature of Duffy&#8217;s support base, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced the nominee at his confirmation hearing earlier this month, which was held by the Senate Commerce Committee.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The Senate has voted 97-0 to invoke cloture on the nomination of Sean Duffy for Secretary of Transportation. 
Duffy, a former Wisconsin Congressman, was introduced at his hearing by Senator Tammy Baldwin who said it was a “pleasure” to introduce him and that he was “the right… <a href="https://t.co/j5PWhqF0Ta">pic.twitter.com/j5PWhqF0Ta</a>
&mdash; Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) <a href="https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1884028933982609545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I am confident that Sean is the right person for this job in this upcoming administration,&#8221; Baldwin <a href="https://x.com/yashar/status/1884028933982609545" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;I believe he will help deliver for Wisconsin families, businesses, and workers, and I expect that he will work through this committee and both sides of the aisle to improve our infrastructure and address the challenges that arise in the years ahead.&#8221;
Joined by his wife, Fox News personality Rachel Campos-Duffy, and their children, Duffy testified that if confirmed to lead the Department of Transportation (DOT), he would prioritize streamlining infrastructure projects, efficient use of taxpayer dollars, and travel safety.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
WATCH: Transportation Secretary nominee Sean Duffy opening statement. <a href="https://t.co/93jjYVWuEs">pic.twitter.com/93jjYVWuEs</a>
&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1879564240564212160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Transportation impacts every aspect of life, from efficiently and securely moving products to our ports to the ease of commuting from work, to school, but also to church on Sunday,&#8221; Duffy said. &#8220;Together with President Trump and this committee and the entire DOT team I would hope to usher in a golden age of transportation and travel.&#8221;
Duffy is the sixth person to obtain Senate approval to join Trump&#8217;s second-term Cabinet. Scott Bessent, the nominee to lead the Treasury Department, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-confirms-trumps-pick-for-treasury-secretary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> on Monday night. The others include Secretary of State <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marco-rubio" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marco Rubio</a>, CIA Director <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/john-ratcliffe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Ratcliffe</a>, Defense Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pete-hegseth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pete Hegseth</a>, and Homeland Security Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kristi-noem" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kristi Noem</a>.
Reports <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pete-buttigieg-reportedly-considering-run-for-u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">emerged</a> on Tuesday saying <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pete-buttigieg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pete Buttigieg</a>, who led DOT in the Biden administration, is considering a 2026 Senate campaign in Michigan as Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michigan-dem-senator-gary-peters-wont-run-for-re-election" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> he would not seek re-election.

Senate Confirms Sean Duffy As Trump’s Transportation Secretary

Presidential nomination

Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/josh-hawley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josh Hawley</a> (R-MO) grilled <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/boeing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boeing</a> CEO Dave Calhoun about his multi-million dollar salary at the embattled aerospace company on Tuesday.
&#8220;What is it that you get paid currently?&#8221; Hawley asked Calhoun during a <a href="https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/subcommittees/investigations/hearings/boeings-broken-safety-culture-ceo-dave-calhoun-testifies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hearing</a> of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations — which has been looking into <a href="https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/the-senate-permanent-subcommittee-on-investigations-releases-evidence-from-new-boeing-whistleblowers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boeing whistleblower complaints</a>.
&#8220;Senator, that&#8217;s well disclosed in our proxy documents in each of the years that I&#8217;ve been employed,&#8221; Calhoun said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Exchange between Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Boeing CEO David Calhoun on compensation and transparency.
Hawley: &quot;What is it that you get paid, currently?&quot;
Calhoun: &quot;It&#39;s well disclosed&#8230;it&#39;s a big number.&quot;
Hawley: &quot;It&#39;s $32.8 million this year&#8230;that&#39;s a 45% increase&#8230;&quot; <a href="https://t.co/LM21Th5HCs">pic.twitter.com/LM21Th5HCs</a>
&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1803155925882024341?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Yeah, but what is it?&#8221; Hawley shot back.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a big number, sir,&#8221; Calhoun said.
&#8220;Well, let me help you out,&#8221; Hawley responded. &#8220;It&#8217;s $32.8 million this year. Does that sound right?&#8221;
After Calhoun responded in the affirmative, Hawley continued, &#8220;That&#8217;s a 45% increase over last year.&#8221;
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Once again, Hawley asked if the number he recited sounded correct, to which Calhoun said that it did.
&#8220;What is it you get paid to do exactly?&#8221; Hawley pressed.
&#8220;I get paid to run the Boeing company,&#8221; Calhoun answered.
&#8220;Yeah,&#8221; Hawley said. &#8220;So just help me understand that. I mean, do you get paid for transparency? If that part of — is that one of the metrics for your income?&#8221;
Calhoun explained, &#8220;I think the board counts on me for transparency.&#8221;
The comment prompted a stern retort in which Hawley listed a number of investigations that Boeing has faced.
&#8220;This is all in your tenure. This doesn&#8217;t sound like a lot of transparency to me,&#8221; Hawley said.
As Boeing has been inundated with controversies, including a <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/boeing-paid-alaska-160m-compensation-door-plug-incident/story?id=108859251" target="_blank" rel="noopener">door plug incident</a> and plane crashes, Hawley also pressed Calhoun on safety and quality control.
The senator accused Calhoun of trying to &#8220;squeeze&#8221; profit out of the company while &#8220;cutting corners&#8221; and endangering lives.
“Senator, I don’t recognize any of the Boeing you described,&#8221; Calhoun insisted.
Hawley asked Calhoun why he has not resigned, to which the executive declared he is &#8220;sticking this through&#8221; and is &#8220;proud&#8221; of Boeing&#8217;s work — including its safety record.
“Wow. There&#8217;s some news for you,&#8221; Hawley quipped.
&#8220;I think the American public, when they fear to get on their airplanes, they understand your safety record,&#8221; he added.
&#8220;And frankly, sir, I think it’s a travesty that you’re still in your job,&#8221; Hawley said.
Also during the hearing, Calhoun made headlines for <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/boeing-whistleblower-steps-forward-ahead-ceos-testimony-washington/story?id=111206197" target="_blank" rel="noopener">apologizing</a> to plane crash victims and <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2024-06-18/boeing-ceo-apologizes-acknowledges-far-from-perfect-culture-amid-withering-rebuke-in-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conceding</a> a &#8220;far from perfect&#8221; culture at Boeing.

Senator Josh Hawley

Hawley Confronts Boeing CEO On $32.8 Million Salary, Says ‘It’s A Travesty That You’re Still In Your Job’

Hawley Confronts Boeing CEO On $32.8 Million Salary, Says 'It’s A Travesty That You’re Still In Your Job'

Boeing

Josh Hawley

In a shocking backtrack, New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul announced an indefinite delay on the controversial congestion pricing plan for drivers entering Manhattan&#8217;s central business district amid fears that it could affect Democrats&#8217; election chances.
On Wednesday, Hochul said she had directed the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to push back the new toll’s June 30 start date.
&#8220;After careful consideration, I have come to the difficult decision that implementing the planned congestion pricing system risked too many unintended consequences for New Yorkers at this time,&#8221; Hochul <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRVEYLjYBcg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a video announcement.
&#8220;For that reason, I have directed the MTA to indefinitely pause the program,&#8221; she said.
The governor cited the high cost of living, saying &#8220;hardworking New Yorkers are getting hammered on costs.&#8221; She added that while New York&#8217;s pandemic recovery has been faster than expected, it is &#8220;by no means complete.&#8221;
The MTA&#8217;s congestion pricing plan would charge drivers a minimum of $15 to enter Midtown Manhattan south of 60th Street. Drivers would be charged the rush hour price nearly all day every day — between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays and between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekends. Cars would be charged $3.75 during the remaining hours.
The toll is aimed at lessening peak-hour congestion in Manhattan. The around $1 billion raised from the toll is supposed to go towards upgrading subways, commuter railroads, and bus systems.
Hochul is also <a href="https://abc7ny.com/post/congestion-pricing-nyc-kathy-hochul-start-delay/14912968/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> concerned about how the expensive toll might affect local Democrats facing uphill battles in House races in the New York City suburbs. Republicans have already started attacking Democrats over the toll.
Additionally, several lawsuits have already been filed over the congestion pricing plan.
For months, critics have slammed the idea of slapping drivers with new expensive charges.
Representative Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican and vocal critic of the toll, celebrated the expected change.
“It is welcome news that Governor Hochul is considering delaying congestion pricing, scheduled to begin June 30, due to our pressure, the public‘s outcry and concerns it will impact Democrats in November’s election,” Malliotakis <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/06/05/us-news/gov-kathy-hochul-considering-delaying-congestion-pricing-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the New York Post.
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“I urge my fellow New Yorkers to continue calling their city, state and federal representatives because it is working. They are feeling the heat and this war-on-cars cash grab must be reversed!” she said.
Another critic of the toll, International Transport Workers president John Samuelsen, who serves on the MTA board, also sounded off on the reversal.
“I told the governor two years ago that if she imposed the congestion toll without increases in transit service it would be a political disaster,” Samuelson <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/06/05/us-news/gov-kathy-hochul-considering-delaying-congestion-pricing-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “It’s like taxation without representation. She let [MTA CEO] Janno Lieber lead her around like a stooge.”
The MTA is governed by 23 members, who are nominated by the governor, NYC mayor, and local officials.
New York City Democratic Mayor Eric Adams emphasized that the congestion toll should not be a &#8220;burden on everyday New Yorkers.&#8221;
&#8220;We have to get it right,&#8221; Adams said. &#8220;We have to make sure that it&#8217;s not going to impact our recovery. We got to the point of more jobs in this city than in the history of the city because of the support in the recovery effort.&#8221;

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul

NY Governor Announces Delay On Congestion Pricing Plan In Shocking Backtrack

Cars

Democrats

Kathy Hochul

New York

New York City

The container ship that rammed into a support beam of Francis Scott Key Bridge — which caused the Baltimore bridge to <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">collapse</a> in March — suffered a pair of electrical blackouts the day before the collision that resulted in the deaths of six construction workers, according to federal investigators.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the March 26 incident that took place in one of America&#8217;s busiest ports and released a report on Tuesday, saying that the ship, called the Dali, had two electrical malfunctions on March 25. Just hours later, two more electrical blackouts made it impossible for the Dali&#8217;s crew to steer the ship away from the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
&#8220;On March 25, about 10 hours before leaving Baltimore, the Dali experienced a blackout (loss of electrical power to the HV [high voltage] and LV [low voltage] buses) during in-port maintenance,&#8221; the NTSB preliminary <a href="https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Documents/DCA24MM031_PreliminaryReport%203.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> said. The loss of power occurred after &#8220;a crewmember mistakenly closed an inline engine exhaust damper.&#8221;
&#8220;Vessel power was restored when crewmembers manually closed HR2 and LR2 [step-down transformers]. Generator no. 3 continued to run for a short period, but insufficient fuel pressure caused its speed to decrease, and its breaker (DGR3) opened; a second blackout (another loss of electrical power to the HV and LV buses) occurred,&#8221; the report added.
In the early hours of March 26, the Dali suffered two more electrical blackouts before it collided with the bridge&#8217;s support beam and caused the middle section of the 1.6-mile-long bridge to crash into the Patapsco River. Video of the incident shows the Dali&#8217;s lights go out moments before it rams into the support beam. Six men who were working on the bridge at the time fell into the water and died.
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Breaking News: Mass Casualty event declared in the US after a ship slams into a Bridge
The full video can be seen here.
Developing story<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Baltimore?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Baltimore</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#USA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bridgecollapse?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#bridgecollapse</a> <a href="https://t.co/E5bWMovtjo">pic.twitter.com/E5bWMovtjo</a>
&mdash; Jim Ferguson (@JimFergusonUK) <a href="https://twitter.com/JimFergusonUK/status/1772538786276053349?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The Dali remained stuck in the bridge wreckage until earlier this week when authorities used precision explosive charges to remove part of the bridge that was still on top of the container ship, according to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/baltimore-bridge-span-removed-ship-freed-precision-blast-rcna152065" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC News</a>. Maryland Governor Wes Moore also announced that a channel should finally be open for ships by the end of the month, which would be key to &#8220;fully opening vessel traffic to the port.&#8221;
Days after the collision, the NTSB released a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ntsb-reports-timeline-of-baltimore-bridge-disaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> describing the events that led up to the bridge&#8217;s collapse.
“Around 01:26:39 the ship’s pilot made a general VHF [very high frequency] call for tugs in the vicinity of the DALI. MDTA data from around this time indicated the pilot association dispatcher phoned the MDTA duty officer regarding the blackout. Around 1:27:04, the pilot commanded the DALI to drop the port anchor and issued additional steering commands,” the NTSB said. “Around 1:27:25, the pilot issued a radio call over the VHF radio and reported the DALI had lost all power approaching the Key Bridge,” adding that at roughly 1:29 a.m., “the ship’s speed over ground was recorded as just under 7 knots/8 miles per hour. From this moment until approximately 1:29:33, VDR audio recorded sounds consistent with the collision with the Key bridge.”
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The Dali&#8217;s mayday signal allowed transportation officials to stop traffic from traveling across the bridge before the ship struck the support beam, a move that &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/8-people-were-on-baltimore-bridge-at-time-of-collapse-ship-issued-a-mayday-before-collision-authorities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saved lives</a>,&#8221; according to Maryland Governor Wes Moore.

Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapses After Being Struck By Cargo Ship

Ship That Caused Baltimore Bridge Collapse Had Two Electrical Blackouts Day Before Deadly Collision: Federal Investigators

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