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June 18, 2013, 5:43 pm
By
Keith Laing
A Washington state bridge that collapsed last month after a truck crashed into one of its support beams is set to reopen on Wednesday, a lawmaker from the state announced on Tuesday.
Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) said the portion of Interstate 5 that runs on a bridge over the Skagit River would be opened to drivers after being closed for several weeks following a late May accident that stirred debate about transportation funding in Washington.
Larsen said it was important to Washington state to reopen the bridge quickly.
“It’s time for traffic to flow again on I-5,” Larsen said in a statement. “To have this bridge open again less than a month after the collapse is an astounding testament to the local, state and federal officials who have worked tirelessly in Skagit County. This is an important first step to permanently fixing the bridge. In the meantime, Skagit County is open for business and ready for visitors.”
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June 18, 2013, 5:10 pm
By
Ben Goad
House Republicans joined industry officials in urging the administration to pull back the new rules.
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June 18, 2013, 3:57 pm
By
Julian Hattem
A federal appeals court is allowing loan guarantees to help an Indian airline purchase Boeing airplanes, but making the federal agency that issued the loans explain how they will impact Americans.
The Export-Import Bank needs to further explain how its $3.4 billion in financing for Air India will affect U.S. industries and workers, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled on Tuesday.
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June 18, 2013, 2:43 pm
By
Keith Laing
The House Appropriations Committee has unveiled a $44 billion budget for the departments of Transportation (DOT) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The amount for the agencies in the 2014 fiscal year is $7.7 billion less than their 2013 spending levels.
Republicans on the Appropriations Committee the bill is $4.4 billion below the current level of spending that went into effect after the March 1 sequester. The House is proceeding with 2014 bills that cut below the sequester for domestic programs and which increase spending for defense.
Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), said the committee had to make painful choices given the dictates of the sequester.
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June 18, 2013, 12:37 pm
By
Keith Laing
Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) is criticizing Amtrak for reportedly bringing in gourmet chefs to improve the quality of its onboard meals.
Mica said on Tuesday that the agency should not be incurring additional expenses on concessions after losing more than $900 million on the sales of it current products over the last decade.
“With a $72 million food service loss in 2012, it’s time for Congress to stem the financial bleeding from chef-inspired gourmet meals on Amtrak’s money losing routes," Mica said in a statement
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June 18, 2013, 10:00 am
By
Keith Laing
Airplane manufacturer Boeing announced on Tuesday that it is planning to build larger versions of its 787 “Dreamliner” airplane now that the plane has been cleared to fly again.
The company’s original 787 model was grounded for three months earlier this year after several battery failures during its initial rollout, one of which resulted in an electrical fire.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cleared Boeing’s plan to redesign the battery, and the company announced on Tuesday that it was moving ahead with a new Dreamliner model, dubbed the 787-10.
Boeing Commercial Airplanes President Ray Conner said in a statement that "the 787-10 Dreamliner will be the most-efficient jetliner in history."
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June 18, 2013, 9:00 am
By
Keith Laing
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June 17, 2013, 3:09 pm
By
Keith Laing
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is calling for Amtrak to allow its passengers to bring bikes on trains that run in upstate New York and near the Canadian border.
Doing so would encourage more use of bike trails in the area of New York's state capital, Schumer said.
Schumer said Amtrak could make room for the bicycles on the trains by adding additional baggage cars he said that the company was already building.
“Amtrak is currently building new baggage cars — in New York — that could accommodate bicycles, and adding them to their Adirondack and Ethan Allen lines would mean a passenger from Canada or Long Island could bring their bike all the way to Saratoga and beyond," Schumer said in a statement.
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June 17, 2013, 1:59 pm
By
Keith Laing
The girl's father said TSA "humiliated and shamed by 15-year-old daughter."
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June 17, 2013, 9:39 am
By
Keith Laing
Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx (D) could see his bid to become Transportation secretary come in for a smooth landing this week.
President Obama's nomination of Foxx to replace outgoing Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has cleared all but one hurdle: a vote of the full Senate that could come as early as this week.
Foxx's selection was approved by the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, and he is widely expected to win confirmation when his bid comes up for a vote of the full upper chamber.
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