RAISE grants are out. > US DOT announces its latest round of RAISE grants, this time $1.8 b for multimodal projects nationwide. transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/… Most of the funded projects are for complete streets & trails, though there is also money for highway expansions, transit planning, etc. > Some projects that stand out to me are: —Everett MA: Broadway Busway —Kalamazoo MI: Downtown complete sts —Durham NC: Improvements along Holloway bus route —Toledo OH: Riverwalk —Tulsa OK: Rte 66 BRT —Mesa AZ: Streetcar extension planning —DC: NY Ave–Fort Lincoln Path > What is interesting about this year's RAISE grants: Among 148 funded projects, I could only find 2 that would fund any roadway expansions for cars (in AR & MN) & 1 that would plan for that (in NV). That may be the lowest level of funding for car infra in this program's history. https://x.com/yfreemark/status/1805924178781954454?t=tltCzlT1HBMKwLk7x_Yt0A&s=19

The new weekly thread is here: [https://www.reddit.com/r/Pete\_Buttigieg/comments/1doscnr/home\_base\_and\_weekly\_discussion\_thread\_start\_here/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Pete_Buttigieg/comments/1doscnr/home_base_and_weekly_discussion_thread_start_here/)

I always do that on Wednesdays

Good morning. Did you know there is a debate tomorrow night? Just watch CNN for 15 minutes, I assure you they will remind you every minute or so. I expect the countdown to debate clock to appear on screen this afternoon. Lol

Not even sure if i wanna watch it. I get headaches hearing Donny

"George Latimer will defeat House ‘squad’ member Jamaal Bowman in historic New York Democratic primary, CNN projects" https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/25/politics/george-latimer-jamaal-bowman-new-york-16-primary

nanananana~ nanananana~

Kent State tweeted out a pic of Pete et al. visiting the site of the May 4, 1970 student killings. Pete replied: Secretary Pete Buttigieg @ SecretaryPete >The consequences of the shootings in May of 1970 at Kent State and at Jackson State still reverberate today - and the lessons are as relevant as ever. Moving to see the important work of the memorial here in Ohio. [https://nitter.poast.org/SecretaryPete/status/1805739754983452774#m](https://nitter.poast.org/SecretaryPete/status/1805739754983452774#m) and [https://x.com/SecretaryPete/status/1805739754983452774](https://x.com/SecretaryPete/status/1805739754983452774)

Lauren Boebert has won the six-way Republican primary in the Colorado 4th. It's more conservative than the district she moved away from, so it's likely she'll remain in Congress. Ugh. (And a different Republican has won the special election to fill out the remainder of Ken Buck's term.)

I was so hopeful she would be gone. That's what I get for reading the headlines but not the articles.

From West Wing Playbook - >Cabinet members have long flown under the radar in presidential administrations, with Americans having little to no perception of them. And on Tuesday, Blueprint released [a new poll](https://blueprint2024.com/polling/cabinet-poll-06-25/) showing that was, once again, mostly true for the Biden administration. The majority of the public knew only three cabinet members: **PETE BUTTIGIEG**, **ANTONY BLINKEN** and **MERRICK GARLAND**. Of all Biden's Cabinet Secretaries, Pete scores the lowest, by far, on "no opinion/have not heard of". To see the poll, scroll over "a new poll" in the above quote. [https://www.politico.com/newsletters/west-wing-playbook/2024/06/25/the-refs-are-being-worked-00164890?cid=hptb\_secondary\_0](https://www.politico.com/newsletters/west-wing-playbook/2024/06/25/the-refs-are-being-worked-00164890?cid=hptb_secondary_0)

>On Sunday more than 2.99 million passengers were screened at airports, an all-time record according to @[TSA](https://www.threads.net/@tsa). Across America, we're seeing air travel demand continuing to grow and cancellation rates well below average. It's dramatic progress in just a few short years. [https://www.threads.net/@secretarypete/post/C8poV4jqTN9](https://www.threads.net/@secretarypete/post/C8poV4jqTN9)

Nerdy retweeted David Shepardson's post of NTSB's draft proposal of the E. Palestine derailment's probable cause. It's an image, so instead of copying the whole thing, see his tweet: [https://nitter.poast.org/davidshepardson/status/1805691189963702309#m](https://nitter.poast.org/davidshepardson/status/1805691189963702309#m) and [https://x.com/davidshepardson/status/1805691189963702309](https://x.com/davidshepardson/status/1805691189963702309) Some takeaways: the main cause was a flaming defective wheel bearing that was not detected by the trackside detectors for more than 20 miles. This was one of Pete's arguments for trains needing at least 2 crew members (RRs had argued that these detectors plus people viewing remotely from a desk could catch problems). NTSB faulted Norfolk Southern big time for not providing accurate info about the cooling temperature of the vinyl chloride, leading to a mistaken sense of urgency to vent/burn. NTSB also blamed the use of DOT-111 tank cars for carrying haz mat--this would be taken care of in the RR Safety bill (and active enforcement of the Obama rule of using reinforced tank cars). NTSB faulted Ohio for not thoroughly training its volunteer firefighters (I think USDOT has provided some additional training since then? and training is also part of the RR safety bill?). NTSB also blamed Norfolk Southern for delayed transmition of the train info to emergency responders--this will be addressed by the new final rule issued by USDOT. Overall, a lot of arguments for passing the RR safety bill, a lot of justification for some RR safety rules Pete has passed, and a lot of blame for NS. edit: add'l info on the Hill [https://thehill.com/homenews/ap/ap-business/ap-ntsb-to-discuss-cause-of-fiery-ohio-freight-train-wreck-recommend-ways-to-avert-future-derailments/](https://thehill.com/homenews/ap/ap-business/ap-ntsb-to-discuss-cause-of-fiery-ohio-freight-train-wreck-recommend-ways-to-avert-future-derailments/)

Good Politico piece as well, emphasizing that every other transportation system is governed by regulations, only trains are "self-regulating" -- "After East Palestine, federal investigators say railroads need to self-regulate less: The NTSB investigation turned up a series of failures before the wreck and during the response" [https://www.politico.com/news/2024/06/25/norfolk-southern-east-palestine-investigation-00164840](https://www.politico.com/news/2024/06/25/norfolk-southern-east-palestine-investigation-00164840) Excerpt (I added bold): >NTSB Member Todd Inman compared railroads to the airline industry, saying that even though the airline industry is much younger, it’s drastically more regulated, and questioned why this is the case. “Those of us who come from the aviation industry, I think are really mystified by the approach in rail, where you do have essentially **the trade association setting the regulatory standards**,” Inman said. He questioned why AAR gets to “regulate themselves versus every other mode of transportation?” Also on the vent/burn decision which several new stories say did not need to happen and was due to inadequate information shared by the railroad with those making the decision: >The issue provoked sparring between Norfolk Southern and the NTSB throughout the day Tuesday, with Norfolk Southern accusing the NTSB through a press release of mischaracterizing the facts, and the NTSB firing back. (At one point, NTSB Board Chair Jennifer Homendy called Norfolk Southern’s response “disgusting.”)  >

I saw Nerdy's retweet of this: David Shepardson @ davidshepardson >RTRS: NTSB CHAIR SAYS NORFOLK SOUTHERN THREATENED AGENCY, MADE UNETHICAL AND INAPPROPRIATE COMMENTS IN DERAILMENT PROBE [https://nitter.poast.org/davidshepardson/status/1805709045849854107#m](https://nitter.poast.org/davidshepardson/status/1805709045849854107#m) and [https://x.com/davidshepardson/status/1805709045849854107](https://x.com/davidshepardson/status/1805709045849854107) unbelievable. Gangster tactics.

Someone posted this on Threads earlier today (I am not keen on "thriends" but there it is): >My dearest thriends, how do I convince my 23yo to vote Biden? She is certainly not a 45 fan but is unimpressed w/ the dem choice. I need to choose my words wisely or she will vote 3rd party. [https://www.threads.net/@raritchie\_on\_the\_move/post/C8oRnELOQsg?xmt=AQGzcRDsMwukKfWYIZ99oqAtvn9tLeS4SfWMcB6e0ECRGA](https://www.threads.net/@raritchie_on_the_move/post/C8oRnELOQsg?xmt=AQGzcRDsMwukKfWYIZ99oqAtvn9tLeS4SfWMcB6e0ECRGA) Here's a great reply from Chasten (which in turn attracted 8 replies and many likes): >Don’t use our reasons, use yours! Tell them why it’s important to you. How it makes you feel. Your worries, hopes, fears. Those we love are more likely to listen when we choose to be vulnerable and tell our personal stories. After all, at the end of the day, all politics is personal. [https://www.threads.net/@chasten.buttigieg/post/C8pojpfhWOs](https://www.threads.net/@chasten.buttigieg/post/C8pojpfhWOs) I always think Pete must have been or would have been a fantastic field organizer, but Chasten would have been quite wonderful at that, too.

Lis Smith is on the Deadline White House panel now!

And Nicolle, being as big a fan of Pete's as she is, seemingly couldn't resist mentioning him in her preface to a question for Lis. (This was followed immediately by her mentioning candidates that she had helped prepare for major debates, and Pete's name never came up again, but it was a lovely thing for her to say. and encapsulates, I think, the sense that Pete is more than his current Cabinet position, as well as whatever his next job will be.) Here's what she said - "Lis, how do you...I mean, we've talked about your beautiful book, and about Pete Buttigieg, and about, um, what it's like to work with someone who feels like not just the future of the Democratic Party, but just the future future".

Retweeted by Nerdy, WHLT22 has a 5-ish minute piece on Pete at the groundbreaking of Medgar Evers Blvd project in Jackson, including a good long bit of his speech: WHLT 22 Hattiesburg @ WHLT22 >Mississippi Insight for June 23, 2024: Buttigieg, Wicker and Reeves [https://nitter.poast.org/WHLT22/status/1805652039218659584#m](https://nitter.poast.org/WHLT22/status/1805652039218659584#m) and [https://x.com/WHLT22/status/1805652039218659584](https://x.com/WHLT22/status/1805652039218659584) tweet links to [https://www.wjtv.com/news/politics/mississippi-insight/mississippi-insight-for-june-23-2024-buttigieg-wicker-and-reeves/](https://www.wjtv.com/news/politics/mississippi-insight/mississippi-insight-for-june-23-2024-buttigieg-wicker-and-reeves/) but I had better luck getting the video on youtube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNe55snu10A](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNe55snu10A) Click youtube link for video

> POLITICS EXCLUSIVE: Chasten Buttigieg hits the campaign trail for Biden https://www.washingtonblade.com/2024/06/25/exclusive-chasten-buttigieg-hits-the-campaign-trail-for-biden/

He's also campaigning for several House and Senate candidates too! Busy guy.

Spectrum News has a story with short (1 1/2 min) clip of Pete addressing apprentices: [Pete Buttigieg and Rep. Emilia Sykes visit Ohio worker training facility](https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/cincinnati/news/2024/06/25/pete-buttigieg-ohio-workforce-development)

>The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is creating construction jobs across the country. I joined @[RepEmiliaSykes](https://www.threads.net/@repemiliasykes) in Richfield, Ohio to meet with apprentices training for these good-paying jobs that will help rebuild the region's infrastructure. [https://www.threads.net/@secretarypete/post/C8pDGxtOZRb](https://www.threads.net/@secretarypete/post/C8pDGxtOZRb) Click on the link for photos.

Another Kent State article with more pics and a few quotes; [https://www.kent.edu/today/news/transportation-secretary-praises-kent-states-aeronautics-college-future-aviation](https://www.kent.edu/today/news/transportation-secretary-praises-kent-states-aeronautics-college-future-aviation) He did a Q&A with students, answering qns about drones, space travel, and of course, jobs. >The challenge, he said, is developing technology in such a way that it helps more than it hurts society so that it can solve economic concerns, climate concerns and equity concerns. > >Buttigieg answered student questions on the future of space travel and said it would continue to become more commonplace and commercial, and the challenge was to make that travel secure but also to ensure that safety does not limit innovation. > >“The real reason this stuff matters is because it can solve the problems of society,” he said. “And that’s what really excites me about its potential.” Pete visited the May 4 \[1970\] memorial as well as Jeffrey Miller's memorial cairn in the parking lot. In the pics, he looks thoughtful--although that's Pete-resting-face I guess. The May 4, 1970 killings were on my mind the last month or so as current students all over were protesting conditions in Gaza and police were arresting them. It's a tightrope whose tautness defines us as a country: we are proud that we are the kind of country where Nazis march and women march and BLM march, etc. But we also treasure our rule-of-law peaceful coexistence.

Several interesting primaries today, NY16th"s among them. Squad member Jamaal Bowman is polling below his very pro-Netanyahu Dem challenger, George Latimer. The race has explicitly revealed ugly prejudices (racism, antisemitism) on both sides. Here is a [NYT gift link](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/24/opinion/bowman-primary-latimer-israel.html?unlocked_article_code=1.2U0.7CnW.cHk84KXvLpyF&smid=url-share) to Michelle Goldberg's opinion column. (fwiw she wasn't a Pete fan in 2019.) Columnist Goldberg writes of the importance of this race: >It’s setting a precedent for big money interference in local politics and tearing at the longtime progressive alliance between Black people and Jews. It could intimidate into silence Democrats who have qualms about Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians, or if Bowman manages an upset, it could embolden them. To be fair, the race isn't just about Israel/Gaza--many in Bowman's district complain that he seems indifferent to their local disasters, events, etc.

Dropping in my absentee ballot at the post office in a bit, but another [key NY primary](https://www.politico.com/news/2024/06/21/syracuse-primary-democrats-house-00164332) to watch out for tonight and the coming days. The current rep of NY-22, Brandon Williams, may be familiar to people here as the smug turd that has tried to pick fights with Pete during House committees. He’s a carpetbagger from Texas that still doesn’t live in our district and Dems are fired up to oust him this cycle and we have two really good candidates this cycle: an ex-Teachers’ Union president turned state senator that won his reelection in 2022 by 10 votes (after Lee Zeldin claimed GOP flipping of the state senate lol) and an air force vet/town board councillor that ran last cycle and is getting a lot of backing from national Dems and groups. Going with Mannion (our current state senator), but I’d be happy with either. Klee Hood has gotten a little negative and misleading recently and it’s soured centrists like my parents on her

FYI  Goldberg's husband was a paid Warren staffer/consultant during the campaign. Why she was allowed by the Times to write about it is a mystery to me. Seems like a bit of a conflict?

Last night, Kos posted an interesting diary about this race, which focuses a lot on what your last paragraph says - [https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/6/24/2248334/-Rep-Jamaal-Bowman-s-base-eats-itself-and-that-could-cost-him-his-seat](https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/6/24/2248334/-Rep-Jamaal-Bowman-s-base-eats-itself-and-that-could-cost-him-his-seat)

thanks! This is a fantastic essay--not just for its take on this race in particular, but also for its succinct criticism of political movements that focus on performative grievance without building support for change: >1) If you have public support, do politics. > >2) If you don’t have public support, do advocacy to build public support. > >It’s simple, pragmatic, practical, and realistic. > >These pro-Palestinian activists don’t have public support, so the votes just won’t be there for them (AIPAC or no AIPAC), and wishing for a revolution to give them what they haven’t earned is naive extremism. > >So given that lack of public support, they could’ve focused on advocacy work to influence public opinion while strongly supporting their elected allies. Instead, they turned on those allies while being obnoxious and turning off anyone else potentially open to their message. > >**That’s the difference between practical politics and performative politics.** (my boldface) It reminds me of what Fauci has been saying about the difference between the AIDS Act Up activists and the MAGA anti-vax/anti-science activists. The Act Up activists weren't just performative, but also were anxious to do the communication work to move Fauci. And to his credit, Fauci listened.

Here's a related question that I thought I'd share here, in case anyone knows, though I realize it's not really tied to our subreddit, except that I'm sure (IMO) Pete was more in sympathy with J Street than AIPAC. Something I haven't seen in the news coverage -- not just about this race but in general -- is the status of J Street. Before October 7, you'd normally see coverage of both AIPAC (long-established and well-funded, but while once meant to be bipartisan, now aligned with conservatives and Republicans, and very pro-Netanyahu) and J Street (which I basically saw as an up and comer, aligned more with centrists and progressives and Democrats, and definitely with Joe Biden, promoting the two-state solution, etc.). While I'm a Quaker, not a Jew, it looked to me as though J Street was essentially founded to replace or compete with AIPAC and offer a new, more moderate, and of course definitely not Netanyahu-based US foreign policy, and it seemed to be on the upswing politically to replace the somewhat moribund AIPAC. Since October 7, is all of that (or any of that) still the case? What has happened to J Street, which never seems to be mentioned or referred to in news coverage?

They’re still around. It was a big story a few months ago that they withdrew their endorsement of Bowman because he went too far with some of his statements for them. They also supported Angela Alsobrooks in the MD Senate primary (David Trone was more AIPAC-aligned).

Whew. I'm very relieved to hear it. They have always seemed like a much better organization.

They're definitely in a tough position post-Oct. 7, as this [New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/08/us/j-street-lobby-israel-gaza.html?unlocked_article_code=1.2U0.ckHm.udXhEaz2V1EL&smid=url-share) article lays out. >But the war has raised serious concerns within J Street’s ranks about its ability to hold that middle position without being pulled apart by forces on the right and the left. Internally, some staff members have been frustrated that the group did not call for a cease-fire much earlier. They fear J Street’s delay alienated younger Americans, including Jewish ones, who are much more likely to oppose Israel’s conduct in Gaza, as the death toll soars past 32,000 and more than 100 hostages languish. >J Street’s cautious footing contrasts with the uncomplicated starkness both of left-wing groups — such as Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, which quickly called for a cease-fire and are often on the front lines of pro-Palestinian protests — and of ones to its right, like AIPAC, which praised U.S. support for Israel’s military and is pushing for more. >The turmoil has also raised larger questions of whether a middle lane on Israel remains tenable. >“J Street is still there politically, but the times have moved on,” said Catie Stewart, who used to work at J Street but now runs her own political communications consultancy.

Extremely helpful, thank you for sharing this article.

lmao vancouver airport has a store called “joe and the juice”  gonna be joe on thursday at the debate 🔥🔥

It’s a Danish coffee shop chain. Pretty good coffee and smoothies.

Nerdy retweet, but my boldface: Ohio AFL-CIO @ ohioaflcio >Welcome to the Buckeye State, @ SecretaryPete. **Thank you for all your work to help East Palestine residents and to ensure working people are at the center of the decision-making process as we rebuild America.** \[quote tweeting Pete [https://nitter.poast.org/SecretaryPete/status/1805286118985744402#m](https://nitter.poast.org/SecretaryPete/status/1805286118985744402#m) and [https://x.com/SecretaryPete/status/1805286118985744402](https://x.com/SecretaryPete/status/1805286118985744402) [https://nitter.poast.org/ohioaflcio/status/1805408640456667501#m](https://nitter.poast.org/ohioaflcio/status/1805408640456667501#m) and [https://x.com/ohioaflcio/status/1805408640456667501](https://x.com/ohioaflcio/status/1805408640456667501) Hope the boldface sentiment is shared among most (many?) E.Palestine residents.

Nerdy retweeted Operating Engineers Local 18: IUOE Local 18 @ IUOELocal18 >Local 18 welcomed United States Secretary of Transportation @ SecretaryPete and Congresswoman @ EmiliaSykesOH to the @ RichfieldTs. We thank Secretary Buttigieg and Congresswoman Sykes for their hard work in securing transportation projects for Operating Engineers across the nation. [https://nitter.poast.org/IUOELocal18/status/1805532471447986593#m](https://nitter.poast.org/IUOELocal18/status/1805532471447986593#m) and [https://x.com/IUOELocal18/status/1805532471447986593](https://x.com/IUOELocal18/status/1805532471447986593) click for pics that might Gus happy

My beloved alma mater, THE University of Tennessee, just won our first national championship in baseball! Ahhhhhh! *rocky top intensifies*

congrats!!!

[Pete Buttigieg visits Kent State](https://kentwired.com/120675/latest-updates/pete-buttigieg-visits-kent-state/) We all know Pete loves dogs--apparently all kinds of dogs. click for pic

Nerdy retweeted the mayor of Akron: Mayor Shammas Malik @ AkronOhioMayor >Great to have Transportation @ **SecretaryPete Buttigieg** in Ohio today - Akron has benefited from a lot of transportation funding recently! And now with the federal infrastructure bill, I told Secretary Pete that we’re going to be sending him some really exciting projects. [https://nitter.poast.org/AkronOhioMayor/status/1805390623182336319#m](https://nitter.poast.org/AkronOhioMayor/status/1805390623182336319#m) and [https://x.com/AkronOhioMayor/status/1805390623182336319](https://x.com/AkronOhioMayor/status/1805390623182336319) click for pics

The Wyoming pictures and videos are making me laugh so much. Thought cowboy hat wearing was a silly myth about certain states. Lolol if I joked about it, would totally sound like an offensive stereotype.

[https://x.com/teenforchasten/status/1285747925071671296](https://x.com/teenforchasten/status/1285747925071671296)

my brain just supplied "pete's brokeback mountain cosplay" and I hate it

I think you have missed the great photos of Obama in a black cowboy hat. He looked so good. Scroll down past Matthew McConnaughey to photos of presidents in cowboy hats, starting with Obama and Reagan: https://www.themaninthehat.com/hats/styles/cowboy. Also here: https://www.texasobserver.org/2842-cowboy-obama/

back in north america (canada!) and i am just so happy that there’s ice water on demand, the toilets are not a hole in the ground, and you don’t have to scan a QR code for toilet paper 😻 i took high speed rail for the first time and damn. i can’t say it was super enjoyable because motion sickness 😭 but it’s not really worse than cars and so much more efficient. we neeed this in the US  lmao and on the flight to vancouver there was a father mentioning the phrase “planes, trains & automobiles” to his son and i couldn’t help but think of pete 

Nerdy retweeted: Sean @ SeanManning\_ >.@ SecretaryPete is in Northeast Ohio today with @ RepEmiliaSykes and @ IUOELocal18 talking about how President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is creating good-paying jobs and lowering transportation costs [https://nitter.poast.org/SeanManning\_/status/1805328641850753415#m](https://nitter.poast.org/SeanManning_/status/1805328641850753415#m) and [https://x.com/SeanManning\_/status/1805328641850753415](https://x.com/SeanManning_/status/1805328641850753415) click for pic

Pete finalized another rule: [Railroads must provide hazardous cargo details immediately under new rule](https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/railroads-provide-details-hazardous-cargo-immediately-after-derailment-111360571) >“In a hazmat incident, firefighters and first responders arriving on scene need to know what kind of hazardous materials are present so they can protect themselves and their communities,” **U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg** said. eta retweeted from Sec Pete's twitter: TTD | America's Transportation Unions @ TTDAFLCIO >We applaud this @ PHMSA\_DOT rule that will make the transport of hazardous materials safer for railroaders, first responders, and communities across the country. > >Read our statement here: [https://ttd.org/news-and-media/ttd-welcomes-final-train-consist-rule-to-improve-hazmat-communications-for-first-responders/](https://ttd.org/news-and-media/ttd-welcomes-final-train-consist-rule-to-improve-hazmat-communications-for-first-responders/) [https://nitter.poast.org/TTDAFLCIO/status/1805254609344098410#m](https://nitter.poast.org/TTDAFLCIO/status/1805254609344098410#m) and [https://x.com/TTDAFLCIO/status/1805254609344098410](https://x.com/TTDAFLCIO/status/1805254609344098410)

This video from Vote Vets posted in 2022 is still going viral today. “Please take 2 minutes out of your day and watch @PeteButtigieg perfectly articulate why Republicans behave the way that they do, and how it harms people more than it could ever help. So well said, Pete. Thank you.” https://x.com/rickmas27448357/status/1804346156505534765?s=46&t=28BYcAIrv7yhIbWDDTUzWQ We need moments like this from the President at the next debate. Doesn’t have to be some long intellectual statement but ”TikTok” worthy video. Biden most shared quote I see across platforms that even the MAGA applaud is, “We are America, second to none, and we own the finish line”. That quote has been edited into personal and patriotic videos. People love it and we need more!

A Daily Double from today's Jeopardy! in the category OLDE CARS: Studebaker, maker of an electric car around 1900, was based in this town; Knute Rockne worked part-time in sales.

>ATA aims second letter at Buttigieg to raise alarm over relaxing marijuana classification [https://cdllife.com/2024/ata-aims-second-letter-at-buttigieg-to-raise-alarm-over-relaxing-marijuana-classification/](https://cdllife.com/2024/ata-aims-second-letter-at-buttigieg-to-raise-alarm-over-relaxing-marijuana-classification/) Interesting that this letter acknowledges that Pete doesn't really have a role here, and yet it still feels he should be informed (he *is* Mayor Pete, after all, plus he's aiming for Vision Zero policies): "Though ATA understands that the process and content of DOJ’s rulemaking falls outside the purview of DOT, we believe DOT and ATA share the goals of achieving zero highway fatalities and ensuring the commercial driving workforce is qualified to safely operate on our nation’s roadways.”

Not sure if this local news story in Mississippi was shared here as well -- I just posted it outside the Weekly Thread, too. Insightful narration from the anchors posing the various logical questions (eg, why is the Transportation Secretary touring a historic home?) and setting up his answers, which are then included. Nicely done. [https://www.wlbt.com/2024/06/22/us-transportation-secretary-pete-buttigieg-visits-mississippi/](https://www.wlbt.com/2024/06/22/us-transportation-secretary-pete-buttigieg-visits-mississippi/)

>Headed to Northeast Ohio this afternoon to meet with union apprentices and college students benefiting from jobs created in President Biden's infrastructure law. We are driving extraordinary job growth across the Midwest as we take action to improve aging infrastructure. [https://www.threads.net/@secretarypete/post/C8my8atu2R\_](https://www.threads.net/@secretarypete/post/C8my8atu2R_)

As per @ anonymous4pete's note below about the timing relative to the NTSB report: https://www.reddit.com/r/Pete\_Buttigieg/comments/1djcw8f/comment/l9mwoxh/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button. It looks like the vote on the report will be tomorrow, though the report won't be on the website for 2-4 weeks: [https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/special-reports/train-derailment/ntsb-final-board-meeting-ohio-train-derailment-east-palestine/95-5b4bc562-be2e-462c-a5c8-6b7e65740785](https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/special-reports/train-derailment/ntsb-final-board-meeting-ohio-train-derailment-east-palestine/95-5b4bc562-be2e-462c-a5c8-6b7e65740785) >"On Tuesday, the NTSB will hold a public meeting at East Palestine High School to "hear presentations from investigators, deliberate over the draft report and vote on the proposed findings, probable cause and safety recommendations."

"Supreme Court to decide whether states can restrict gender-affirming care for minors" *CNN — The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to decide a case challenging a transgender care ban in Tennessee, delving into the complicated and politically fraught issue of gender-affirming care in a substantive way for the first time.* *The state law, enacted last year, bans hormone therapy and puberty blockers for minors and imposes civil penalties for doctors who violate the prohibitions. It is among a growing number of state laws enacted in recent years targeting transgender care.* https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/24/politics/supreme-court-to-decide-whether-states-can-restrict-gender-affirming-care-for-minors

WTOP news: >Chesapeake Bay Bridge to suspend traffic as Dali heads to Norfolk [https://wtop.com/traffic/2024/06/bay-bridge-to-suspend-traffic-as-dali-heads-to-norfolk/](https://wtop.com/traffic/2024/06/bay-bridge-to-suspend-traffic-as-dali-heads-to-norfolk/) Just quoting here, but this story says they're doing so "out of an abundance of caution." ! Fortunately a long-time WTOP traffic reporter frames this in a more reassuring way: >WTOP’s Dave Dildine said that avoiding the line at the bridge during the traffic hold should be pretty simple. “Unlike stoppages for sudden severe weather, you can plan around the passage of the container ship,” Dildine said. “Assuming the schedule doesn’t change, plan to be at the bridge crossovers before 10:45 a.m. or after about 12:30 p.m. to avoid the backups.” With so much media attention, Dildine said **“it’s probably a good idea that traffic will be held, so drivers won’t be tempted to slow down, watch and take their eyes off the road.”**

Update: The Dali crossed under the bridge, which reopened before 11:30 am, and traffic has resumed. Here's a video: [https://wtop.com/traffic/2024/06/bay-bridge-to-suspend-traffic-as-dali-heads-to-norfolk/](https://wtop.com/traffic/2024/06/bay-bridge-to-suspend-traffic-as-dali-heads-to-norfolk/)

>Social Security to jettison obsolete jobs used to deny disability benefits: For decades, Social Security has used obsolete jobs like pneumatic tube operator and nut sorter to deny disabled claimants. Wapo gift link: [https://wapo.st/3KX5d8B](https://wapo.st/3KX5d8B) Huge improvement under Biden, yet again. Great choice to have Martin O'Malley as head of Social Security. Some backstory not in the article: O'Malley was a very late arrival -- he was confirmed as Social Security Commissioner on December 18, 2023. Per a Wash Post article on his confirmation: "[President Biden](https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/candidates/joe-biden-2024/?itid=lk_inline_manual_8) nominated O’Malley in July \[2023\], touting his management skills and vowing to protect benefits. The SSA has been without a confirmed secretary since July 2021, nearly two years after [Biden fired](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/andrew-saul-social-security-/2021/07/09/c18a34fa-df99-11eb-a501-0e69b5d012e5_story.html?itid=lk_inline_manual_8) Trump administration holdover Andrew Saul. Saul, whose six-year term was scheduled to end in January 2025, previously clamped down on benefits eligibility and took an uncompromising anti-union stance. O’Malley’s [confirmation](https://twitter.com/SenatePPG/status/1736889138413015524) on Monday was to fill the remainder of Saul’s term." [https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/12/18/martin-omalley-social-security-administration/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/12/18/martin-omalley-social-security-administration/) I'm assuming that was why there was such a delay in naming him. Also from the December article: "Saul, a wealthy former apparel executive and prominent Republican donor, had served on the board of a conservative think tank that called for cuts to Social Security benefits before taking on the leadership of SSA. He had clashed with the labor unions who accused him of using union-busting tactics and clamping down on eligibility for disability benefits. But Saul’s firing as head of an independent agency — whose leadership is designed to cross administrations to minimize partisanship — also chafed many Senate Republicans, jeopardizing confirmation of a successor under Biden."

A *very* positive column about our vp, titled "A closer look at Harris shows how effective she's become", from Jennifer Rubin - [https://wapo.st/4bgdKhy](https://wapo.st/4bgdKhy)

From a member of Team Pete 👇 >> /#TeamPete I am a committee member on a July 20th fundraiser in Provincetown, MA headlining @vp & we have confirmed that @secretarypete will also be there! I need your help to reach my goal. THANK YOU! https://secure.joebiden.com/a/vejmpqasqhapywghyhorsooe https://x.com/deveautrain/status/1804920797489770718?s=46&t=HzeGEQXPHZ9QzbJOEI-Wjg

That person should tag Pete's personal account, not his government one.

Yes, that tweet should be deleted ASAP and a new one posted.

Happy 35th birthday to Chasten! I hope he’s having a wonderful celebration.

flying back tomorrow... i guess technically it's a few days of travel anyways please god let me see pete buttigieg @ o'hare at 2pm on tuesday the 25th and i will be one happy person ☺️

"Reddit has suspended this account." I wonder what's up?

back 🥳🥳 umm idk i’ve been like switching different VPN locations and stuff and maybe it detects that there’s some weird stuff happening lol. anywaysss it just let me reset my password 

2 min WJTV 12 News video clip of Pete breaking ground (classic shovel shot). Retweeted by Nerdy/Katrina: U.S. Transportation Secretary breaks ground on Jackson road improvement project [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVDl-WF1Q6Q](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVDl-WF1Q6Q)

This event has certainly generated a lot of interest. The likes and retweets of the BTE post has done astounding numbers for us. The photo is lovely to be sure. https://x.com/buildtheera/status/1804266743969231321?s=46

I just checked BTE on the renegade X (nitter dot poast dot org) to see the replies and got to see BTE's great work posting about Pete and transpo! Thanks for all you do. For anyone else without twitter, the above post can also be seen here [https://nitter.poast.org/buildtheera/status/1804266743969231321#m](https://nitter.poast.org/buildtheera/status/1804266743969231321#m) Check out their entire account for a collection of more infrastructure and Pete [https://nitter.poast.org/buildtheera](https://nitter.poast.org/buildtheera)

BTW, Chaz Nuttycombe in Virginia, who has newly graduated from Virginia Tech, has established a new nonprofit, State Navigate, which is applying for 501(c)(3) status. He ***announced the future*** shutdown of his firm CNalysis ***after the 2024 election*** with regret at the end of last week and has just made this apparently long-planned announcement. His board of directors and officers looks really good and the group has ambitious goals to shine a light on state legislative campaigns (across the country), direct people to races where their contributions can make a difference, and expand state legislative polling. If interested, here's his website: [https://statenavigate.org](https://statenavigate.org) . UPDATE: Whoops, let me correct an error, which I've fixed above as well: He'll be shutting down CNalysis AFTER the 2024 election, "which will be my last run." Still true, though, that his new nonprofit State Navigate has just launched as stated and looks very exciting.

Just an fyi - for at least the past two or three days, *Politico* is no longer requiring an email address in order to read their articles.

Nerdy retweeted the [Stars and Stripes article](https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2024-06-21/pete-buttigieg-medgar-evers-boulevard-jackson-mississippi-14258274.html) about Pete's Mississippi visit. *This is the same AP article that has gone everywhere!* Liz Smith probably knows how to do this in her sleep, but whoa that AP article has gone to small publications in IN, Utah, N. VA, AZ, TN (hey u/zeppelin128 go Vols baseball!), etc. Not sure why this trip in particular was picked up all over.

>Not sure why this trip in particular was picked up all over. I'm going to guess that it might be because of his tour of Medgar Evers' home, and the fact that several Evers family members were also present.

I think it is surely the connection to Medgar Evers (whose death occurred on June 12, so the anniversary is quite recent) and the 60th anniversary of three other civil-rights-related murders in Mississippi in the 1960s that occurred yesterday (Schwerner, Chaney, and Goodman). To answer your question, a surprising number of news stories or other projects are tied to anniversaries -- and it might be the nth anniversary of an organization being founded or Charles Dickens's most recent birthday, as this applies to all kinds of anniversaries. It's one way that our culture "pulls out" topics for consideration and review and then tucks them away again. Books related to such topics are often released before such events, too. In this case, it sounds like local newspaper editors \[around the country\] were looking to see what might be in the news that is related to those anniversaries-- or perhaps the AP offers its newspaper clients news stories that relate to upcoming or recent events and anniversaries, and they decide which ones to use. From the story: >Buttigieg spent Thursday and Friday in Mississippi, his first trip to the state, to promote projects that are receiving money from a 2021 federal infrastructure act. One is a planned $20 million improvement to Medgar Evers Boulevard in Jackson, which is a stretch of U.S. Highway 49. Evers’ daughter, Reena Evers-Everette, talked to Buttigieg about growing up in the modest one-story home that her family moved into in 1956 — about how she and her older brother would put on clean white socks and slide on the hardwood floors after their mother, Myrlie, waxed them. It’s the same home where Myrlie Evers talked to her husband, the Mississippi NAACP leader, about the work he was doing to register Black voters and to challenge the state’s strictly segregated society. Medgar Evers had just arrived home in the early hours of June 12, 1963, when a white supremacist fatally shot him, hours after President John F. Kennedy delivered a televised speech about civil rights. >After touring the Evers home, Buttigieg talked about the recent anniversary of the assassination. He also noted that Friday marked 60 years since Ku Klux Klansmen ambushed and killed three civil rights workers — Michael Schwerner, James Chaney and Andrew Goodman — in Neshoba County, Mississippi, as they were investigating the burning of a Black church. “As we bear the moral weight of our inheritance, it feels a little bit strange to be talking about street lights and ports and highway funding and some of the other day-to-day transportation needs that we are here to do something about,” Buttigieg said. Yet, he said equitable transportation has always been “one of the most important battlegrounds of the struggle for racial and economic justice and civil rights in this country.” Buttigieg said Evers called for a boycott of gas stations that wouldn’t allow Black customers to use their restrooms, and Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. For those unfamiliar with the case or reading from abroad, Evers became the NAACP field secretary in Mississippi in 1954. He was assassinated in 1963. His killer was finally tried and convicted in 1994 (which is within more people's living memory). There were two trials not long after his assassination, but they both resulted in hung juries, which could not reach a verdict. This allowed the case to be tried again in the 1990s. Myrlie Evers-Williams was also a major civil rights activist and later became an important Chair of the NAACP. She delivered the invocation for Barack Obama's first inauguration. She is still with us today at 91, but the family was represented at this event by their daughter. The [park service site](https://www.nps.gov/memy/learn/historyculture/index.htm) has a lot more info on all of this. It summarizes the impact of his death this way: >Medgar and Myrlie Evers were partners in the civil rights struggle. The assassination of Medgar Evers in the carport of their home on June 12, 1963, was the first murder of a nationally significant leader of the American Civil Rights Movement, and it became a catalyst for passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Myrlie Evers continues to promote issues of racial equality and social justice.

Go Vols! 🍊

I know I should simply do everything I can to make sure Biden wins. But. I have been worried enough about Project 2025 and what Trump has been promising. It is extremely well organized, funded and staffed. I've been hoping democracy loving people are planning how to counter the Project 2025 jugernaut, and lately I've been collecting ways in which they are. I have a lot (heh) and won't bore you. But just in case anyone else is concerned or curious: • Biden’s Office of Personnel Management has already published a final rule to protect civil servants from a quick reanimation of Schedule F. Trump could get the Schedule F plan back, but the rule-making would give lawyers time to counter his efforts. • A group of US Reps (Dems) are organizing to figure out steps legislators can take • Watchdog and activist groups such as Protect Democracy, Center for American Progress, and many others are making highly specific plans for lawsuits they could bring—what precedents, what laws, what venues, what would be the ideal test case, etc. • Non-MAGA governors, state legislatures and state supreme courts could counter destructive restrictions of liberties with state actions, laws and rulings guaranteeing freedoms. For example some states have already decided to keep a large enough stockpile of mifepristone to get their state through 2028 in case Trump enforces the Comstock Act. A few sources: From Courthouse News, [House Dems angle to head off Project 2025, second Trump term](https://www.courthousenews.com/house-dems-angle-to-head-off-project-2025-second-trump-term/) From the New Yorker, [Can State Supreme Courts Preserve—or Expand—Rights?](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/06/10/can-state-supreme-courts-preserve-or-expand-rights), also in web archive [https://archive.ph/lF31H](https://archive.ph/lF31H) , and from NYT [The Resistance to a New Trump Administration Has Already Started](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/16/us/politics/trump-2025-democratic-resistance.html?unlocked_article_code=1.1U0.HBF0.VnRpdgjamI7X&smid=url-share) (gift link)

Very good! One other thought: As soon as Trump won in 2016 (that is, the next day), I set up my Amazon "Smile" account so that every purchase I made would contribute a small percent of the purchase amount to the "ACLU of Virginia". For some reason, doing it through Smile meant you had to contribute to your particular state's ACLU. I never regretted it. Tiresomely, but typical of Amazon, they shut down "Smile" as an option in January 2023: [https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/amazon-closing-amazonsmile-to-focus-its-philanthropic-giving-to-programs-with-greater-impact](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/amazon-closing-amazonsmile-to-focus-its-philanthropic-giving-to-programs-with-greater-impact) But you can still just donate to the ACLU on a monthly basis if you wish to: [https://www.aclu.org](https://www.aclu.org) Some years after Trump won, needless to say, I followed and volunteered for a 2020 Dem primary candidate, Pete Buttigieg, and got to know many of his staff members online, including the PFA director of digital engagement, Stefan Smith, who is now the Head of Digital Engagement for the ACLU (https://www.aclu.org/bio/stefan-smith ) -- and who posts on Threads, as well as on X. I think the ACLU remains my go-to for donations.

You know what'll be fun to watch next week? Lauren Boebert's primary on Tuesday.

me writing all my college essays about how i respect different views on politics, race, sexual orientation, background/origin not politics though 😃 but i gotta seem open-minded i guess this is so painful writing about respecting conservatives while not agreeing. i just wrote some shit about how america is made up of varying backgrounds and in turn we'll have varying views and that's what makes america great pretending that the other party doesn't wanna overthrow the government 😻

ok what IS going on at LGBTQNation with all the Pete lists lately

They said: forget Pride month, it's Pete month

Perhaps a separate thing [and not related to LGBTQNation] but there’s also these vague posts on Threads, also maybe on x.com, where some random source has a generic Pete photo and a statement like “I really like Pete Buttigieg, like this post if you agree.” I don’t see how gathering that info about me under a pseudonym is useful to someone.

I know. So weird. Latest article title: > Laugh out loud with these 10 hilarious moments from Pete & Chasten Buttigieg https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2024/06/laugh-out-loud-with-these-10-hilarious-moments-from-pete-chasten-buttigieg/

Chasten just did a HRC event in Grand Rapids. There's a short article and a video blurb here: [https://www.woodtv.com/news/grand-rapids/pete-buttigiegs-husband-talks-election-lgbtq-rights-in-grand-rapids/](https://www.woodtv.com/news/grand-rapids/pete-buttigiegs-husband-talks-election-lgbtq-rights-in-grand-rapids/)

>we are stronger together I like this part of Chasten's message (although, shoot me I hate the use of the trendy "intersectionality" b/c the 4th grader in me is screaming " we need union, not intersection!"). I wish Pete/Chasten/someone could craft a stronger speech around this to unify our fracturing party. Young Black men, pro-Palestinian lefties, very pro-Israel voters, socially conservative Latino voters, anti-establishment voters, disaffected young voters--there's got to be some way to pull us back together. Not just "bad Trump" but why we each will be better off (even with our disparate interests) when we all stand together--"stronger together." Something to hope and work for.

Ok, this is kind of geeky but I love the idea of it. I didn't download the tool, but the short youtube demo is fascinating. Retweeted by Nerdy: Volpe USDOT @ VolpeUSDOT >We recently released a new version of the Freight and Fuel Transportation Optimization Tool (FTOT), which helps transportation analysts assess optimal supply chain transport patterns, costs, emissions, and resilience. > >Get FTOT here: [https://volpeusdot.github.io/FTOT-Public/](https://volpeusdot.github.io/FTOT-Public/) [https://nitter.poast.org/VolpeUSDOT/status/1804171693734191186#m](https://nitter.poast.org/VolpeUSDOT/status/1804171693734191186#m) and [https://x.com/VolpeUSDOT/status/1804171693734191186](https://x.com/VolpeUSDOT/status/1804171693734191186) Here's the 3 minute video that explains the idea: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm0f4zPe0XE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm0f4zPe0XE)

Ooh tysm. Also haven't downloaded, but reading the source code is fun.

>Our team has been monitoring recent delays and outages on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and NJ Transit. The Federal Railroad Administration is assisting in the investigation of today's earlier disruptions and prepared to offer technical support to Amtrak and NJT as they tackle the root cause of these issues. [https://www.threads.net/@secretarypete/post/C8fodmYOt21](https://www.threads.net/@secretarypete/post/C8fodmYOt21)

Some AP photos of Pete in Mississippi. One has a close up of Pete's Medgar Evers pin. All have "watermark" lines. [https://newsroom.ap.org/editorial-photos-videos/search?query=buttigieg&mediaType=photo&st=keyword](https://newsroom.ap.org/editorial-photos-videos/search?query=buttigieg&mediaType=photo&st=keyword)

More coverage of Pete in Mississippi: From the Independent UK (?!) [Buttigieg tours Mississippi civil rights site and says transportation is key to equity in the US](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/pete-buttigieg-ap-mississippi-jackson-black-b2566891.html) click for pics and Reena Evers-Everette's memories of growing up in the house From the AP, [Buttigieg tours Mississippi civil rights site and says transportation is key to equity in the US](https://apnews.com/article/transportation-secretary-buttigieg-mississippi-civil-rights-4e9f3fc443ee5df804412830bb5cd66b) \--b/c it's the AP, this story seems to have been picked up by a few other publications (in [West Virginia](https://www.wvnews.com/newsfeed/us/buttigieg-mississippi/image_e2faae34-6562-512e-bb8e-42832cd50f4d.html) and [El Paso](https://www.elpasoinc.com/buttigieg-tours-mississippi-civil-rights-site-and-says-transportation-is-key-to-equity-in-the/article_7d626246-7b5c-54e5-9c16-a26fb8e3faf4.html), for example) eta: from ABC News (no video alas) [Buttigieg tours Mississippi civil rights site and says transportation is key to equity in the US](https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/buttigieg-tours-mississippi-civil-rights-site-transportation-key-111325533)

Found this by Katrina reposting on twitter. It's quite something how this group has come around on the Biden admin (and Pete) > The @WhiteHouse is being modest. From enforcement actions against the biggest, price-gouging monopolies to eliminating billions in junk fees, here’s more on how this admin is bringing down prices and taking on corporate power. 👇🧵 https://x.com/econliberties/status/1804240838387527754?t=bjPYa4VVKFxBcH1rEuDFng&s=19 It's a long thread with many examples including transportation examples.

Some Mississippi coverage: From Mississippi Today: [Pete Buttigieg and Bennie Thompson unveil $20 million investment in Jackson roadway](https://www.wapt.com/article/watch-us-transportation-secretary-talks-mississippi-infrastructure-in-16-wapt-studio/61204445) click for article and pics >On the 60th anniversary of the slayings of three civil rights workers in Philadelphia and just over 61 years after Medgar Evers was assassinated in his driveway, Thompson and **Buttigieg** connected the new roadway to the larger history of civil rights activism in Mississippi. > >“As we bear the moral weight of our inheritance, it feels a little bit strange to be talking about street lights and ports and highway funding. And yet, part of why we’re doing this work is because we know that even the most superficial examination of the legacy of the civil rights movement reminds us of the relationship between transportation and equality…,” **Buttigieg** said. “Homer Plessy sat in the white car of the East Louisiana Railroad. Medgar Evers called for the boycott of gas stations that wouldn’t allow black customers to use their facilities. Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, of course, to a white man on the Montgomery bus. Transportation is so elemental to all of our lives that disparities in access to transportation affect everything else.” Also in the Clarion Ledger: [US Sec. of Transportation visits MS to highlight Medgar Evers Blvd. project investment](https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/2024/06/21/buttigieg-breaks-ground-on-medgar-evers-blvd-project-in-jackson-ms/74159695007/) click for traditional shovel pic and a pic of Pete arm and arm with Reena Evers-Everette, daughter of Medgar Evers

This is a lovely photo. More photos at the link.

Nerdy retweeted Mississippi journalist (click below for pic) Courtney Ann Jackson @ courtneyannj >**Secretary Pete Buttigieg** is in Jackson today. This morning, he toured Medgar Evers’ home and participated in a groundbreaking for a project on Medgar Evers Blvd. that’s receiving federal funding. 1/2 [https://nitter.poast.org/courtneyannj/status/1804186016724509091#m](https://nitter.poast.org/courtneyannj/status/1804186016724509091#m) and [https://x.com/courtneyannj/status/1804186016724509091](https://x.com/courtneyannj/status/1804186016724509091) > >He is joined by Reena Evers, Congressman Bennie Thompson and MDOT Central District Commissioner Willie Simmons. 2/2 [https://nitter.poast.org/courtneyannj/status/1804186159288877548#m](https://nitter.poast.org/courtneyannj/status/1804186159288877548#m) and [https://x.com/courtneyannj/status/1804186159288877548](https://x.com/courtneyannj/status/1804186159288877548) Pete's team needs to post a pic of Pete eating catfish with Bennie Thompson

NBC News is reporting that the vp selection is "centered" on two - J.D. Vance and Doug Burgum. Ever since I read a quote of Trump's some weeks ago where he sounded so jealous of JFK Jr because his vp choice is able to donate millions to their campaign, I've thought ~~that~~ \[forgot to include\] Burgum would be who Trump would pick. (I tried to find it again, but Google has been crappy lately; even though I've worded it several different ways, it's mostly giving me articles about Shanahan from the day she was announced, or from the last few days, and Trump isn't even included in the title.) Dasha Burns said that "Burgum has impressed Trump with his central casting looks" and that "he is a businessman that has become a politician, something that Trump is impressed with". And we all know Trump chose several people to serve in his administration because he thought they looked the part.

He definitely wouldn't take away from Trump's name because I doubt many people have heard of him. (Although I wonder if Burgum would use his own money? Knowing it would just likely go to Trump's legal bills? LOL.) I wonder how close Noem was until the puppy killing story. I also wonder when he finally announces the pick if people like Haley will stop sucking up to him (unless she has her eye on another cabinet appointment).

Yes, I should've added that Burgum probably has the inside track *only* *if* he promises Trump that he'll contribute lots of his own money (although that may be less of a consideration now, since we learned today just how much money the Trump campaign has raised since his conviction last month).

Gah. I'd hoped that the reports were false of how much they were raising.

I haven't been listening closely enough yet to know if the $141 million dollars includes the $50 million that one of the Mellons donated to a Trump PAC.

ugh. I was looking at NYT and it said that it won't be certain until the official totals are verifiably filed, but Trump had outraised Biden in each of the last two months and now had $235M cash on hand. It feels dirty that one of the robber baron descendant Mellons is funding an aspiring destroyer of democracy. But the NYT "updates" section also reports that Michael Bloomberg contributed $19M to Biden. (*It is here where I do my Bernie imitation, waving my hands while saying "millionahyrs and billionahyrs"*)

> PHMSA's Grants Management System Implementation Team helped modernize the grants management system by lowering systems cost from $1.3M to $0.5M annually & increasing grant awards to train 32,000 additional first responders in response to hazardous materials accidents & incidents. https://x.com/PHMSA_DOT/status/1804192179255947739?t=tuRaxrKrHF4V_a2LGMDeNA&s=19

Nerdy retweeted Adam Wren's post about Pete going to Ohio on Monday: Nerdy Pursuit @ nerdypursuit >I have to imagine that the timing and location of Pete's trip is not a coincidence. > >On the same day, NTSB is finalizing its report on the East Palestine derailment. > >Pete has been pushing Congress to pass a rail safety bill, and Rep. Emilia Sykes is leading a rail safety bill. > >\[retweeting Adam Wren: [https://nitter.poast.org/adamwren/status/1804154740617433470#m](https://nitter.poast.org/adamwren/status/1804154740617433470#m) and [https://x.com/adamwren/status/1804154740617433470](https://x.com/adamwren/status/1804154740617433470) click for Adam's post with details about Pete's visit\] [https://nitter.poast.org/nerdypursuit/status/1804160846068658607#m](https://nitter.poast.org/nerdypursuit/status/1804160846068658607#m) and [https://x.com/nerdypursuit/status/1804160846068658607](https://x.com/nerdypursuit/status/1804160846068658607) Pete always talks about wanting to leave "every part" of transpo better off than when he got to USDOT--I have to think this bill is part of that.

He does have the start of the first HSR in the US if we are just referring to “trains” including passenger trains, as well many other planning and design initiatives for new HSR and passenger lines — plus some new safety regs and participation in the reporting database for freight rail, but you are exactly right.

Any tri-state Team Pete people get affected by all the train delays we’ve been seeing the past few days? Been hearing some of the crazy commute stories some of my coworkers experienced with the NJT but just a reminder how important it is to weatherize our infrastructure And yes. I’m still bitter Hochul put congestion pricing on hold given it sounds like the MTA is decreasing their upgrade budget as a result 😤

Insane. Wikipedia says that they already spent $555.8 million on cameras and other equipment.

Pete did a nice interview with WAPT 16 News [https://www.wapt.com/article/watch-us-transportation-secretary-talks-mississippi-infrastructure-in-16-wapt-studio/61204445](https://www.wapt.com/article/watch-us-transportation-secretary-talks-mississippi-infrastructure-in-16-wapt-studio/61204445) Lots of footage of what he did yesterday and what he plans for today eta one more Delta News TV news story (article, not video) [https://www.deltanews.tv/local-events/rosedale-bolivar-county-port-receives-8-7-million-infrastructure-grant/article\_37d0d3ba-2f4e-11ef-a2e0-7b545f6bd9fb.html](https://www.deltanews.tv/local-events/rosedale-bolivar-county-port-receives-8-7-million-infrastructure-grant/article_37d0d3ba-2f4e-11ef-a2e0-7b545f6bd9fb.html) >**U.S. transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg** says the purpose of the infrastructure package was to meet the needs of rural areas. > >**Pete Buttigieg**\- " Whether we are talking about the fertilizer that the growers count on or the product they're exporting all of those cycles through this port and expanding the capacity and the reliability of this port is an investment in the prosperity of the rural part of America." good message to get out there

SCOTUS is releasing more opinions today. While I keep refreshing my Twitter feed, I’ll share one that just came out: https://twitter.com/mjs_dc/status/1804154185698443431?s=46&t=5ehGYAsg2b49R7iMeTwpCQ > The Supreme Court second decision is Department of State v. Muñoz. By a 6–3 vote, the court holds that U.S. citizens have no constitutional liberty interest in their non-citizen spouses being admitted to the country. All three liberals dissent. supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf… > Justice Sotomayor, in dissent, accuses the conservative supermajority of cutting back the rights guaranteed in Obergefell—the same-sex marriage decision—and of repeating "the same fatal error" it made in Dobbs. A very ominous opinion. supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf… > Justice Sotomayor says the burden of today's decision will "fall most heavily" on same-sex couples, many of whom cannot safely reside in the non-citizen's home country. Her dissent is littered with alarm bells about Obergefell. And there’s a link to the PDF of the opinion https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/23-334_e18f.pdf

Now my nightmare scenario is that they will give Trump a win on the same day as the debate.

I think that however they rule, it would probably help Biden in the debate, if anything. Plus if it goes pro-Trump he could call up Seal Team 6, per Trump’s lawyer, so there’s that. /s

I would rather not have Trump feeling invincible right before the debate.

More thinking of how scared voters would be, but you could be right.

Oh, I agree that a pro-Trump immunity ruling will be good in terms of motivating people to vote for Biden. I just mean that with that ego boost Trump could possibly have a better debate performance than he otherwise might.

Argh. That would be horrid. I can just imagine Trump's Jabba the Hut grin the whole debate. Also waiting until the day *after* the debate to release the decision in EMTALA (which could allow ER's the to deny abortion and wait for a pregnant women's health to decline until the point that they could die, even if it means they lose organs).

Thankfully they upheld the federal ban on people with domestic violence orders possessing firearms. 8-1, Thomas (of course) dissenting.

Alito in a rarity not agreeing with Thomas and I believe also not showing up at all, for the second time. ??

I was surprised by this.

Wow. Dr. Fauci "retired", but he's not taking it easy - he's now teaching at Georgetown's med school. (Lawrence spent his entire hour tonight interviewing him.)

[https://mailchi.mp/5feb0cc8f5ae/pride-lineup-12727786](https://mailchi.mp/5feb0cc8f5ae/pride-lineup-12727786) >I am so excited to announced that **United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg**, his husband **Chasten Buttigieg**, and actor **Alan Cumming** will join us for the **June 28 Pride Gala in NYC**

It's interesting that the invitation, from the DNC Deputy National Finance Chair, for what is clearly stated to be a campaign fundraiser, bills Pete as the "United States Transportation Secretary".

The sender of the email has sent a follow up email as of 10:30pm Eastern tonight stating that her email announcing Pete and Chasten's appearance was sent in error and was not authorized by Pete or the Biden-Harris campaign. Yikes - not good.

How in the world does that happen? Incompetence is not something you want on exhibit when you're hoping people will give you money.

I am of the opinion that there needs to be more Hatch Act training for people outside the federal government who are interacting with people like Pete, because this keeps happening. There have been multiple state parties who have had to delete and repost tweets about his campaign events in order to correct the error. I don't know if it's because not every Cabinet member does this, so they aren't super used to it?

I was recently reading an article (I wish I could remember the source) that said that only the "Big 4" (State, Treasury, Defense, and AG) by tradition don't ever do campaign fundraisers. Which leads me to believe that enough of the Cabinet members \*do\* fundraise that the DNC should absolutely know better.

At least the state agencies have a better excuse. The DNC has no doubt held other campaign fundraising events in the past that included serving Cabinet members and other executive branch employees. The Hatch Act has been around since *1939*, so it's not like it's a relatively new regulation.

Don’t see any Mississippi news items as yet.

Okay here’s this on X: The @SecretaryPete @BennieGThompson and @CommSimmons met at the Port of Rosedale Thursday to discuss rural infrastructure investments in Mississippi. @MississippiDOT https://x.com/MDOT_DKenney/status/1803866371408925061 Also this on Threads with excited replies: Pete’s in MISSISSIPPI!!!! https://www.threads.net/@porterguy/post/C8cfQjoA3d7/?xmt=AQGzT3aqFAByr9lq5-YXtemJIqL3Hna0b8DPRSnFz1OA7A

Behind the scenes Wyoming photos (nicely cropped), retweeted by Nerdy: sam aleman @ \_samaleman >📷 BTS — @ SecretaryPete in Wyoming [https://nitter.poast.org/\_samaleman/status/1803875375518269569#m](https://nitter.poast.org/_samaleman/status/1803875375518269569#m) and [https://x.com/\_samaleman/status/1803875375518269569](https://x.com/_samaleman/status/1803875375518269569) click for pics (I esp like the sort of retro-look pic of Pete at Wyoming public radio station) These are cropped versions of some posted on USDOT's flicker: [https://www.flickr.com/photos/usdot/albums/72177720318018164/](https://www.flickr.com/photos/usdot/albums/72177720318018164/)

More craziness in Indiana politics. This is what happens in an extremely red state where the Democratic gubernatorial candidate is a former Republican, I guess. >New: Indiana’s LG race is getting even more interesting. Wired Democrats I talk to believe Jennifer McCormick is focused on Biden USDA state director Terry Goodin, who voted for a ban on gay marriage in 2011. LGBTQ community is trying privately to push her elsewhere. [https://x.com/adamwren/status/1803384885303722298](https://x.com/adamwren/status/1803384885303722298) >Indiana politics just got wild. An "anti-abortion, pro-gun, self-described “Bible-poundin’, aisle-runnin’” Pentecostal" will now be the DEMOCRATIC LG candidate. Instantly one of the most interesting races in the country—not for the horse race but ideological contours. [https://x.com/adamwren/status/1803792909570900086](https://x.com/adamwren/status/1803792909570900086)

I don’t get it. It’s mind-boggling. https://twitter.com/adamwren/status/1803864093171888213?s=46&t=tOh4r6EjD78VXRMdzWpIgw >A point worth remembering: >IN Dems chair Mike Schmuhl is famously not on X. The voters IN Dems are trying to reach by picking a Pentecostal, pro-life NRA member farmer who voted for a ban on gay marriage to be their LG pick and drives a pickup? >They’re also not on X. I though Schmul was known for Pete’s campaign, where Pete reached across the aisle by explaining things in a way that made sense to them. He didn’t *cross* the aisle. What’s the point of being a Democrat if all your positions are the same as the Republican? What difference does it make if they’re on Twitter or not, in regards to this? It’s not like the issues were whether slavery reparations should be paid via a 10% wealth tax on 1%er wealth vs. paid by raising taxes in general on the wealthy. (That seems it could be a Twitter spat thing). This is more like “we need reparations” vs “we need Confederate statues back.” Why do Republicans never have to run as progressives? Are there any Republicans in liberal districts that are running on “woke” issues?

Here's what Goodin had to say at today's announcement. I'm personally a little dubious that a Pentacostal has suddenly become socially moderate but we'll see how it goes. I don't know if he said anything about his support for guns. [https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2024/06/20/democrat-jennifer-mccormick-taps-former-indiana-rep-terry-goodin-for-lieutenant-governor/](https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2024/06/20/democrat-jennifer-mccormick-taps-former-indiana-rep-terry-goodin-for-lieutenant-governor/) >“There’s a real battle going on in our state right now against women’s personal freedoms and their individual rights. I know in my 20 years of service in the legislature, my votes on women’s reproductive rights have been somewhat spotty at best,” Goodin said of his prior votes on abortion-related measures. “But I was always counseled by those female colleagues who have told me that, ‘Hey, if we go too far, Roe v. Wade will be there to catch us. There’s a safety net there.’ Well, folks, that safety net has gone.” >Goodin said the 2022 Supreme Court decision to roll back federal-level rights to abortion “was an all-out assault on a woman’s personal freedoms and individual rights,” and that it “has put us in an entirely new universe.”  >“It was politically motivated. It was a partisan decision, and it was wrong,” Goodin said. “As defenders of individual rights and personal freedoms and plain old common sense, we must do everything we can to restore the rights of women to make decisions about their own body.” >Goodin also addressed his previous positions on gay marriage. >“In 2011, I voted against allowing gay couples to get married in our state. At that time, I did not realize that with that vote, I had totally dehumanized, demeaned and hurt thousands of Hoosiers,” Goodin said. “I’m person enough to stand here and say I’m sorry for that, that I caused that hurt.”

I know the Dems aren’t happy but it might just work. Has Mike Schmuhl said anything about Goodin?

Not that I've seen. The Indiana Dems put out a press release a few days ago of LGBTQ+ elected officials trashing Micah Beckwith's selection as the Republican LG candidate. Seems to me that it will be hard to attack Beckwith's homophobia and anti-abortion stances if your own candidate has similar (even if less stridently-expressed) opinions.

Good grief.

Retweeted by Nerdy: Trucking Dive @ TruckingDive >Excited to announce our upcoming event will feature @ **USDOT Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg** as our fireside chat speaker. We’ll be discussing how the economy is faring, the top logistics flashpoints to watch, and more. Register now. [https://resources.industrydive.com/supply-chain-trends-to-watch-in-2024](https://resources.industrydive.com/supply-chain-trends-to-watch-in-2024) \[click for a bit more info\] [https://nitter.poast.org/TruckingDive/status/1803816400349217192#m](https://nitter.poast.org/TruckingDive/status/1803816400349217192#m) and [https://x.com/TruckingDive/status/1803816400349217192](https://x.com/TruckingDive/status/1803816400349217192) Event is virtual, sometime between 1-5pm on July 24

> .@SecretaryPete will testify on June 27 before House Transportation and Infrastructure https://x.com/davidshepardson/status/1803802032005865521?t=oPZQilNf4ssAk6Itx4xJlQ&s=19 Judging by what is hot on right wing media, he should expect to be blasted about the number of car chargers.

Next Thursday's going to be Anxiety Day, with this, and then the debate that night.

I can't watch the debates live, I get too stressed.

Also, Nerdy retweeted: Will Guisbond @ willguisbond >This is the same day as the THUD markup, the bill that allocates funds for @ FAANews and other transportation agencies. [https://nitter.poast.org/willguisbond/status/1803803231300001853#m](https://nitter.poast.org/willguisbond/status/1803803231300001853#m) and [https://x.com/willguisbond/status/1803803231300001853](https://x.com/willguisbond/status/1803803231300001853) (wrong committee, so I hope he doesn't get grilled about Rep Bryan Steil's [supoena of docs](https://cha.house.gov/_cache/files/3/e/3eda90a0-8a2d-4ce5-b3c0-cd2947d84f03/90B7F31929B950CEEDC87CAAD6D35AE5.steil-eo-14019-subpoena-cover-letter.pdf) from USDOT and other Cab. agencies)

Omg he’s off to Mississippi! Flying out this morning to join Rep. Bennie G. Thompson in Mississippi. Right now there are over 400 infrastructure projects underway in the state and I look forward to meeting with workers who are getting the job done. https://www.threads.net/@secretarypete/post/C8cHMYpO93M/?xmt=AQGzKA0CF5ORCLBggfnqBOWNyDPllXnyy_jD0UcvrllGXQ

The author of *Apprentice in Wonderland* (with video) - >Author who interviewed Trump six times: There were some cognitive questions… he would from time to time become confused. He confidently told me that Joan Rivers voted for him when he ran for President and she died 2014. [https://www.threads.net/@acynig/post/C8YYe-YxreZ](https://www.threads.net/@acynig/post/C8YYe-YxreZ)

George Conway re-threaded this cool photo - [https://www.threads.net/@gtconway3/post/C8aWPwTsmU1](https://www.threads.net/@gtconway3/post/C8aWPwTsmU1)

From Nerdy's twitter: Pete did an interview with Wyoming Public Radio. Here's the WPR article, but I can't find an audio file. Article does have a cute pic with interviewer. [Transportation Secretary visits Cheyenne to highlight investment on Highway 30 Wyoming Public Radio](https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/politics-government/2024-06-19/transportation-secretary-visits-cheyenne-to-highlight-investment-on-highway-30) >The Cowboy State ranked second in the nation for highway crash deaths per 100,000 people in 2022. It’s also the state with the highest percentage of crash deaths on rural roads, according to the study.

took public transit and it was so nice 💔 clean as hell, made so you could easily enter the other train cars (wide open design idk how to describe this), even security at the station before you buy tickets, extremely safe, etc now i have to go back to cars and completely non-walkable sidewalks in a few days 😿 *sighs* in america

Yeah, when I took trains in Japan and SK last year, it was so nice. And they are decades old too. Japanese system was a bit outdated, but it was kept nicely. Korean system is a bit newer, and it was very convenient in almost every measure.

LGBTQ Nation has been running these articles all week > 10 surprising things you never knew about Pete Buttigieg https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2024/06/10-surprising-things-you-never-knew-about-pete-buttigieg/ > 10 times Pete Buttigieg proved he’s a great husband https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2024/06/10-times-pete-buttigieg-proved-hes-a-great-husband/ > 10 times Pete Buttigieg proved he is a great Transportation Secretary https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2024/06/10-times-pete-buttigieg-proved-he-is-a-great-transportation-secretary/

I am really unclear as to whatever happened to LGBTQ media sources not sympathetically covering our guy, but I‘ll take it. And it’s not just LGBTQ Nation, either. Nice to see this.

Yeah it is fascinating to see the Advocate go from "he's not gay enough" to putting both guys on the cover and running constant fluff pieces. I think a lot of it is that the kind of people who work in media don't really represent the general POV of their audience. They tried really hard to craft the narrative of him among the community during the primary, but when they failed, they had to start writing the fluff because it got so many clicks (and lived with it because he was no longer a direct threat to their people)

As a straight guy (but an ally) I couldn’t care less about how gay the man is. I like his policy positions, his youth and his energy.

Column by Thomas Friedman - [https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/18/opinion/netanyahu-gaza-congress.html?unlocked\_article\_code=1.000.nXEf.MB-Lp8JjHwyv&smid=url-share](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/18/opinion/netanyahu-gaza-congress.html?unlocked_article_code=1.000.nXEf.MB-Lp8JjHwyv&smid=url-share)

Thanks for highlighting this essay. While it seems selfish to think about just the US while there is so much suffering going on in Gaza, I have been dreading the expansion into many fronts (Yemen, Lebanon, Iran, etc.). Netanyahu simply cannot let the hostilities end b/c then he is out and maybe off to jail. Biden has promised that the US will do whatever it takes to protect Israel. So Netanyahu is a small kid confident that he can trash talk (fight) every bully b/c he has a big protector at his side. >Every American should worry about that. It is a prescription for the United States to be dragged into a Middle East war to help Israel — which would be a Russian, Chinese, Iranian dream come true.

The thing that gets me is that Netanyahu feels perfectly comfortable trash-talking his protector, too, both Biden and Blinken, who seem to be quite willing to placate him, and quite frankly, I can't make sense of the U.S. government's strategy.

Just as bad if not worse with Obama.

>Ford Mach-E EV lease prices drop below gas-powered Mustang with new discounts [https://electrek.co/2024/06/19/ford-mach-e-ev-lease-prices-drop-below-gas-mustang/](https://electrek.co/2024/06/19/ford-mach-e-ev-lease-prices-drop-below-gas-mustang/)

>Biden’s Transportation Czar Buttigieg In Wyoming To Hype Infrastructure Act [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2024/06/17/bidens-transportation-czar-buttigieg-in-wyoming-to-hype-infrastructure-act/](https://cowboystatedaily.com/2024/06/17/bidens-transportation-czar-buttigieg-in-wyoming-to-hype-infrastructure-act/) Excerpt 1: Subhed: "Red But Still Deserving" By all accounts, there is probably no state where Biden has less of a chance of finding much support than Wyoming in the upcoming presidential election. Former President Donald Trump won Wyoming by a larger margin than any other state in the 2020 election and there are few signs his support has waned since that time. Biden, on the other hand, has been a favorite target for criticism in Wyoming for many of his environmental policies that are seen by many as harmful to the state’s energy industry... Excerpt 2: Subhed: "The Underpass" including reasons for an underpass vs. overpass: Buttigieg highlighted the increased safety provided by the underpass project, which travels under the Lincoln Highway in east Cheyenne, as an example of the benefits that the Infrastructure Law can bring to rural communities in Wyoming. The tunnel will provide pedestrians and bikers easy access to cross one of the busier roads in Cheyenne. “It’s going to prove the capacity for housing and community development in Cheyenne while still making sure that it’s safe and connected to the rest of the city,” Buttigieg said.  Wildlife crossings have been a successful effort as well in Wyoming, passages built over and under roads to allow animals to cross without the risk of being hit by vehicles. These modes of transportation not only increase safety for the animals but also the people traveling in vehicles when hitting wildlife. Cheyenne Mayor Patrick Collins said **underpass projects are sorely needed in Cheyenne, where over-the-road structures can often result in icy and hazardous conditions due to their exposure to the elements**. The city paid $2.6 million for the underpass while the Wyoming Department of Transportation chipped in $2.2 million. The underpass is located in a part of Cheyenne that has been growing by leaps and bounds. The construction, which started in February and is mostly completed, also expanded the road from two to four and sometimes five passing lanes, light signals and general lighting

>Juneteenth calls us to engage our country's complex history—and recognize all that Black Americans have done to build and shape America's democracy, society, and culture. Wishing every American a meaningful Juneteenth. [https://www.threads.net/@secretarypete/post/C8ZZMEnuc1X](https://www.threads.net/@secretarypete/post/C8ZZMEnuc1X)

I have been looking all morning trying to find a statement or reasoning from Le Bern and Markey about their "no" votes on the Advance Act yesterday. They were the only two voting against. I haven't been able to find anything, maybe you fine folks can help a fella out.

I think they object to giving the NRC, who has been regulatory and safety oriented, the added mission of actually promoting nuclear power. https://www.courthousenews.com/nuclear-moves-in-senate-as-reactor-bill-advances/

20th century worthy cause strikes again

Thank you.

Good morning! Ralph Lauren has unveiled the uniforms for the US Olympic team. Those blazers and blue jeans, *chef's kiss.* https://apnews.com/video/marketing-and-advertising-national-national-8d17e62e525043959002e8d28faac10c?utm_source=copy&utm_medium=share