A multibillion-dollar program to buy electric vehicles for the U.S. Postal Service is far behind its original schedule, plagued by manufacturing mishaps and supplier infighting that threaten a cornerstone of outgoing President Joe Biden’s fight against climate change.
The Postal Service is slated to purchase 60,000 “Next Generation Delivery Vehicles,” or NGDVs — mostly electric — from defense contractor Oshkosh, which has a long history of producing military and heavy industrial vehicles, but not postal trucks. Congress provided $3 billion for the nearly $10 billion project in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, one of Biden’s chief legislative accomplishments.
But as of November, the Postal Service had received only 93 of the Oshkosh trucks, the agency told The Washington Post — far fewer than the 3,000 originally expected by now. Significant manufacturing difficulties that were not disclosed to the Postal Service for more than a year have stymied production, according to internal company records and four people with knowledge of the events, speaking on the condition of anonymity to avoid professional reprisals.
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New Jersey’s top planning officials this week released a draft of the state’s first State Development and Redevelopment Plan in at least 23 years, updating goals around major issues like economic development, transportation, housing and urban revitalization.
Long in the making, the new document would guide state policy on infrastructure and land use statewide, and has new proposals for counties and towns on managing public assets in light of climate change and the demand for equity.
The plan, if finalized over the next year, will be the first to be adopted by the State Planning Commission since 2001 even though a 1980s law that enables it called for a review every three years.
As the overarching statement of state policy on planning and infrastructure, officials said the plan would provide a framework for infrastructure planning over the next 25 years, while recognizing the needs to adapt to climate change and to ensure equitable treatment for underserved communities — neither of which was included in the last report almost a quarter-century ago.
“This is immensely historic,” said Tom Dallessio, vice president of policy for the New Jersey chapter of the American Planning Association. “New Jerseyans as taxpayers are stockholders in this public corporation called New Jersey. Who owns stock in a private corporation that doesn’t have a plan, let alone a plan that’s 24 years old?
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The immigration surge of the past few years has been the largest in U.S. history, surpassing the great immigration boom of the late 1800s and early 1900s, according to a New York Times analysis of government data.
Annual net migration — the number of people coming to the country minus the number leaving — averaged 2.4 million people from 2021 to 2023, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Total net migration during the Biden administration is likely to exceed eight million people.
That’s a faster pace of arrivals than during any other period on record, including the peak years of Ellis Island traffic, when millions of Europeans came to the United States. Even after taking into account today’s larger U.S. population, the recent surge is the most rapid since at least 1850.
eriod on record, including the peak years of Ellis Island traffic, when millions of Europeans came to the United States. Even after taking into account today’s larger U.S. population, the recent surge is the most rapid since at least 1850.
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Flames threatened City Hall, the iconic Malibu Pier and Pepperdine University, where palm trees burned and smoke crept into the campus library. Nearly 2,700 acres have burned.
Firefighters battled high winds and scorching flames across the hillsides of Malibu, Calif., on Tuesday, as a fast-moving blaze forced thousands of people to evacuate from one of the world’s priciest coastlines. The fire burned homes, closed a stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway and scorched palm trees on the campus of Pepperdine University.
The Franklin fire, as it is known, has burned nearly 2,700 acres in just over 12 hours since it started late Monday, according to California fire officials. Residents in central and eastern Malibu, a city of more than 10,000 people, were under evacuation orders or warnings. Smoke from the fire streamed into Los Angeles, prompting air quality concerns.
Here’s what else to know:
Firefighting efforts: The fire remained zero percent contained by noon, meaning that firefighters had not established any control lines around the blaze. Chief Anthony C. Marrone of the Los Angeles County Fire Department said that heavy winds could challenge the more than 700 firefighters working to contain the fire.
Dangerous forecast: Much of Southern California is expected remain at high risk for wildfires through Tuesday afternoon, said Matt Shameson, a fire meteorologist with the U.S. Forest Service. Even as the winds ease overnight, the risk of wildfires will remain high on Wednesday because of low humidity. Southern California Edison cut off power for more than 46,000 of the utility’s customers because of the wildfire risk.
On-the-ground impacts: Officials said some homes had burned, but they did not yet have an estimate on the number of damaged structures. Sheriff Robert G. Luna of Los Angeles County said that about 18,000 people were in the mandatory or voluntary evacuation zones. No injuries were reported at Pepperdine, where students spent a harrowing night sheltered in the campus library.
Fire’s origins: The blaze broke out in an area notorious for fast-spreading wildfires, where the dangerous Santa Ana winds meet the scrub-filled canyons of the Santa Monica Mountains. The region is parched; most parts of Los Angeles County have received less than a quarter of an inch of rain since Oct. 1.
A woman surveys the Franklin Fire in Malibu, Calif., on Tuesday.Credit…Mark Abramson for The New York Times
Malibu, Calif., has long occupied a particular place in the American imagination, a sun-soaked paradise of coastal bluffs and crashing waves. It is also home to the rich and famous: Dick Van Dyke, Cher and Barbra Streisand are among the many stars who live there.
On Tuesday, Mr. Van Dyke, who turns 99 on Friday, said on Facebook that he and his wife, Arlene Silver, had left their home as the Franklin fire continued to envelop his community.
“Arlene and I have safely evacuated with our animals except for Bobo escaped as we were leaving,” he said, referring to one of their cats. “We’re praying he’ll be OK and that our community in Serra Retreat will survive these terrible fires.”
Liz Rosenberg, Cher’s publicist, said in a brief phone interview that the singer evacuated to a hotel on Monday night along with her pets. She provided no other details.
A spokesman for Ms. Streisand said he was waiting to learn about her whereabouts.
Officials at the Getty Villa, a branch of the Getty Center that houses Greek and Roman antiquities in a stunning coastal setting just east of Malibu, could not immediately be reached to say whether the museum’s operations or collection had been affected.
Charis Kai, a freshman, was among the students who spent the night in a campus library at Pepperdine University as the fire roared past. “There was a lot of anxiety going on, because everyone was shouting things like, ‘It’s coming closer, we’re going to die,’” Kai said. She and her friends eventually decided to stop looking out of the window at the roaring flames.
Dec. 10, 2024, 2:33 p.m. ET1 hour ago
Amy Graff Reporting on weather
Strong winds are expected to continue around the L.A. area for the next few hours, and a large portion of Southern California will remain at high risk for wildfires through Tuesday afternoon, said Matt Shameson, a fire meteorologist with the U.S. Forest Service.
Dec. 10, 2024, 2:35 p.m. ET59 minutes ago
Amy Graff Reporting on weather
Though the winds are predicted to gradually decrease into the evening and overnight, the wildfire risk will remain high through Wednesday because of low humidity.
The Franklin fire has grown slightly since earlier Tuesday morning, and has now consumed 2,593 areas, according to Cal Fire. It remains zero percent contained, meaning firefighters have not established control lines.
The California Highway Patrol closed a stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway from Dume Road to Topanga Canyon Boulevard. Only emergency workers will be allowed to drive through the closed area, officials said.
Malibu officials are currently working from a temporary site in the city of Calabasas, about 12 miles to the northeast, after Malibu’s City Hall was evacuated about 1 a.m. as brush was burning around the building. Calabasas is not in an evacuation zone.
The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, a European Union scientific agency, found that North America experienced particularly intense wildfires this year, especially in the western United States. California recorded the highest carbon emissions across the country in July, it said.
Hundreds of wildfires sparked across California beginning over the the July 4 weekend, fueled by high nighttime temperatures that are increasing under climate change. By the end of the month, extreme heat caused the Park Fire to grow rapidly into the fifth-largest fire in state history.
Dec. 10, 2024, 1:53 p.m. ET2 hours ago
Mimi Dwyer Reporting from Malibu, Calif.
At the Pierce College Equestrian Center in Woodland Hills, Calif, volunteers were preparing stalls for evacuated large animals. A volunteer, Eric Cohen, 59, said that about 10 horses had been brought in so far. The facility has capacity for about 200 horses in individual stalls, and space for another 200 as overflow, he said.
Jessica Jones, 37, and her boyfriend, Matthew Ryder, woke to a neighbor pounding on their door late Monday night. They saw flames on a neaby ridge. After grabbing their pot-bellied pig and three goats, along with their passports and laptops, they fled and spent the night in their truck.
Pepperdine University urged students and employees to remain in place on Monday night rather than navigate the roads in Malibu, Calif., as firefighters battled the Franklin fire.Credit…Jae C. Hong/Associated Press
As flames roared and smoke billowed around their campus, the students gathered in the library at Pepperdine University prayed for safety. They donned masks as acrid smoke filtered into the building. They watched anxiously through the windows as the flames drew closer and even consumed some of the palm trees that dot the scenic Malibu campus.
“We saw the flames jump over the Malibu Canyon,” said Gabrielle Salgado, a senior journalism major who was among the 3,000 people who sheltered in place as the Franklin fire pushed past the campus on Monday night.
By early Tuesday morning, the university had lifted the shelter-in-place protocol and was encouraging students to return to on-campus residences. Michael Friel, a university spokesman, said there had been no injuries and little to no damage to structures, though spot fires had burned on campus.
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The Senate Environment and Energy Committee will discuss the bills below at its Dec. 12 meeting at 10 a.m. in Room 3 of the State House Annex in Trenton
Prohibits sale, distribution, import, export or propagation of certain invasive species without permit from Department of Agriculture; establishes NJ Invasive Species Council.
Allocates $7.5 million annually of constitutionally dedicated CBT revenue for preservation of land in Highlands Region; extends expiration date of special appraisal process for Green Acres and farmland preservation program; provides aid for watershed lands.
“Climate Superfund Act”; imposes liability on certain fossil fuel companies for certain damages caused by climate change and establishes program in DEP to collect and distribute compensatory payments.
Requires certain State-funded construction projects to utilize plastic construction materials that contain certain amounts of postconsumer recycled content.
Amends list of hazard mitigation and resilience projects approved for funding by NJ Infrastructure Bank under FY2025 Community Hazard Assistance Mitigation Program.
Prohibits sale, distribution, import, export or propagation of certain invasive species without permit from Department of Agriculture; establishes NJ Invasive Species Council.
Allocates $7.5 million annually of constitutionally dedicated CBT revenue for preservation of land in Highlands Region; extends expiration date of special appraisal process for Green Acres and farmland preservation program; provides aid for watershed lands.
“Climate Superfund Act”; imposes liability on certain fossil fuel companies for certain damages caused by climate change and establishes program in DEP to collect and distribute compensatory payments.
Requires certain State-funded construction projects to utilize plastic construction materials that contain certain amounts of postconsumer recycled content.
Amends list of hazard mitigation and resilience projects approved for funding by NJ Infrastructure Bank under FY2025 Community Hazard Assistance Mitigation Program.
Amends lists of environmental infrastructure projects approved for long-term funding by DEP under FY2025 environmental infrastructure funding program.
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An airplane flies over caribou on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Fish and Wildlife Service via AP
By Heather Richards, E&E News
President-elect Donald Trump will get another try to unleash drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge during his second term, but oil production won’t come easy.
The success of a potential drilling campaign may depend on whether North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) — Trump’s pick for Interior secretary — prioritizes Alaska oil and gas issues and whether his staff members are skilled at unraveling Biden administration rules crafted to hamper drilling in the Arctic.
ANWR, treasured for its wildness, is already facing the dramatic effects of a changing climate, including thawing permafrost —an underground layer of ice, dirt and organic matter that stays frozen all year. Alaska’s remote location also makes oil drilling more expensive and risky for companies, particularly in the sensitive wildlife habitat of the refuge. Still, the potential payoff remains enticing to drilling supporters.
“There are billions and billions of barrels of oil recoverable in ANWR. The main problem is the permitting and litigation risk,” said Randy Ruaro, executive director of the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, an independent economic development agency set up by the state’s government. “You just have to get the system in place that allows for reasonable permitting and production of the oil and gas.”
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