Aviation

Your morning transportation speed-read:

A man was arrested for skinny-dipping near New York's John F. Kennedy airport.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) supports the Republican surface transportation bill proposal, even though it would cut funding to his state.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood's plan to mediate a disagreement on Washington, D.C.'s MetroRail expansion to Dulles International Airport is being met with skepticism.

Officials are trying to convince riders that Amtrak's Downeaster route is safe after a train hit a truck on the route.

Your morning transportation speed-read:

A throwing star was found in a woman's luggage at southern California's Ontario International Airport.

The Heritage Foundation doesn't like the idea of the Transportation Security Administration having a union.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is going to Orlando, Fla. for the groundbreaking of a commuter rail there.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has signed a law making texting-while-driving a primary offense.

Rep. Darrell Issa said the NLRB has not provided all the documents requested in regard to the Boeing complaint.

Your morning transportation speed-read:

A United Airlines passenger reached 10 million frequent flyer miles.

The FBI is now investigating a stun gun that was found on a Jet Blue plane.

Glenn Beck says Texas has the best highways in America.

Orlando, Fla.'s Disney World is cutting the hours of its Monorail.

Monday begins the first full week of haggling over how much the federal government should spend on transportation.

Your morning transportation speed-read:

A Transportation Security Administration employee in Florida was arrested for allegedly stealing a passenger's iPad and stuffing it in his pants.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is pushing for more enforcement of distracted driving laws.

A stun gun was found on a Jet Blue airliner that landed at Liberty International Airport in Newark, N.J.

Sioux City, Iowa's, Sioux Gateway Airport is gaining passengers because of flooding on the Missouri River.

The Federal Aviation Administration should seek more private money to build a new air traffic controller system, Republicans on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee said Friday.

Touting a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) saying that the FAA has not been completely successful "leveraging the research and technologies of its partners," Committee Chairman Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) said the agency should do more to garner support among private companies.

“Given current budget constraints, it is critical that FAA maximize resources available through interagency and private sector partners for development of NextGen,” Mica said in a statement. 

“The private sector nearly always performs better than government and can more effectively manage transition efforts like NextGen," he continued. "The FAA should do all it can to leverage private sector capital and innovation in this critical infrastructure enhancement project.”

Your morning transportation speed-read:

Would a transportation tax fare better when President Obama's on the ballot?

A JetBlue plane made an emergency landing at the Palm Beach International Airport.

Complaints against airlines are on the rise.

Washington's MetroRail unveiled a prototype of its newest rail cars.

Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe (R) said this week he was filing legislation to create a "Pilot's Bill of Rights" that would place limits on the authority of the Federal Aviation Administration. 

Inhofe, a pilot himself, said he has helped "an untold number" of pilots deal with regulations from the FAA. 

"This bill remedies many of the most serious deficiencies in the relationship between general aviation and the FAA, and ensures that pilots are treated in a fair and equitable manner," he said in a statement. "One of the reasons I got into politics was to fight for the everyday citizen facing an uphill battle with bureaucracy, and that’s why I’m so pleased to introduce this legislation — it’s a mixture of my love of flying and pilots and my job of legislating for the people.”

Your morning transportation speed-read:

The Federal Aviation Administration is celebrating the 75th anniversary of air traffic control.

Washington Mayor Vincent Gray is the latest politician to come out in favor of an above-ground D.C. MetroRail station at Dulles Airport.

The driver in the latest fatal bus crash in Northern Virginia has pleaded not guilty.

Virginia Sens. Jim Webb (D) and Mark Warner (D) are calling for allowing offshore oil drilling in their state.