3 weeks ago
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PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: The Washington, D.C. city government is giving up on the H Street streetcar and will replace the 2.2-mile-long above-ground light rail system with an electric bus powered by the existing overhead cables.
👥 Who’s Involved: The Washington D.C. city government, the Democrat-controlled city council, Mayor Muriel Bowser (D), and City Administrator Kevin Donahue.
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📍 Where & When: City officials in the nation’s capital announced the decision last week.
💬 Key Quote: City Administrator Kevin Donahue has indicated the overhead cable-powered electric bus line will allow officials “to more nimbly and quickly expand the streetcar line out beyond where we currently are.”
⚠️ Impact: The over $200 million streetcar boondoggle has been an embarrassment for the D.C. city government for over a decade. Only 2.2 miles of the streetcar system were ever opened for use; it lacks a dedicated lane or a mechanism to collect fares, and travels at only 12 to 15 miles per hour.
IN FULL:
Washington, D.C.’s sole, 2.2-mile-long streetcar line will soon be no more, with the city government deciding to replace the over $200 million boondoggle just 15 years after track for the project was first laid on H Street NE and a decade after actual operations commenced. Initially billed as an environmentally friendly, more accessible, and aesthetically pleasing alternative to city buses, the streetcar line will be replaced by a bus once again. Still, in an apparent attempt to save face, Mayor Muriel Bowser insists the electric bus is actually a “next generation streetcar.”
The electric bus that will replace the H Street streetcar will utilize the existing overhead power cables, meaning it will still suffer from some of the existing drawbacks that the failed street-level rail system did. Notably, the existing rail line lacks a barrier separating it from the street, which has resulted in the streetcar being unable to proceed forward when a car is double-parked and blocking its track. While the electric bus will not be confined to a track in the same manner as the streetcar, the overhead cables will still limit its maneuverability.
In over one decade of operation, the D.C. streetcar has never once generated a single dollar of revenue. It operates on a $10 million taxpayer subsidy per year. After years of delays and cost overruns, an eventual rushed rollout of the streetcar caused city officials to neglect installing a fare collection system on the streetcar. Eventually, the city government gave up on any plans to charge streetcar riders as the single 2.2-mile line struggled to match the capacity of buses running along the same route.
Despite the city’s budget constraints playing a significant role in the decision to shutter the sole operating streetcar line, the Democrat-dominated D.C. government still intends to push forward with a costly “green” public transit system. City Administrator Kevin Donahue has indicated that the overhead cable-powered electric bus line will allow officials “to more nimbly and quickly expand the streetcar line out beyond where we currently are.”
PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: U.S. Senator John Fetterman has broken ranks with fellow Democrats, praising President Donald J. Trump for scrapping the old Iran nuclear deal.
👤Who’s Involved: Senator John Fetterman (D-PA), President Donald J. Trump, Democrats, Iran.
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🧾Key Quote: “I really do think, now, Trump did the right thing to break that agreement,” said Senator Fetterman.
📌Significance: Fetterman continues to rebuff Democrats on Middle East issues, particularly emphasising his pro-Israel stance amid a massive wave of pro-Palestine activism among the left.
IN FULL:
Democrat Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) has praised President Donald J. Trump’s Middle East policies, saying the Republican president was right to scrap the Obama-Biden Iran deal and push for a new agreement placing greater restrictions on the Islamist nation’s ability to enrich uranium. Notably, Fetterman’s comments put him at odds with most of his fellow Democrats, a fact he openly admits.
“I wasn’t really allowed to disagree, politically, with the original agreement on Iran,” Fetterman said during a panel discussion alongside Senator Dave McCormick (R-PA) on June 2. “I really do think, now, Trump did the right thing to break that agreement,” he added.
President Trump scrapped the Iran nuclear deal and re-imposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic during his first term in office. Known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Iran deal was seen by critics as overly weak on enforcement and would likely do little to prevent the country from developing a nuclear weapons program. While former President Joe Biden did not entirely reinstate he agreement, his government lifted sanctions on Iran and essentially allowed its nuclear program to continue unabated.
After retaking the White House in 2024, President Trump announced he would be reinstating maximum pressure on Iran with aggressive sanctions aimed at the country’s oil industry. However, Trump has also been clear that he would seek a new agreement with Iran to end its nuclear weapons development and subject the country to stringent International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) oversight. In March, President Trump told the Iranians they must negotiate a new nuclear deal with the United States or face consequences. “The other alternative [to negotiations] is we have to do something,” he said, suggesting the possibility of U.S.-backed strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Senator Fetterman’s comments are not unusual for him, as he has taken a pro-Israel stance since the October 7 massacres by the terrorist group Hamas, which provoked the current conflict in Gaza. Fetterman has also backed, at least in part, Trump’s efforts to reshore American jobs and was the first Democrat to meet with the America First leader following the 2024 election.
Following the January meeting at Mar-a-Lago, Trump called Fetterman “fascinating” and said, “He’s a commonsense person. He’s not liberal or conservative. He’s just a commonsense person, which is beautiful.”
Fetterman is not the only figure on the left to praise Trump’s policies. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the former far-left presidential candidate, surprisingly praised the Trump administration’s border policies.
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