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How a 200-Year-Old Ditch Reshaped America
How a 200-Year-Old
Ditch Reshaped America
OPINION
Oct 22, 2025 11:50 AM CDT

How a 200-Year-Old Ditch Reshaped America

The 363-mile Erie Canal fueled America's growth and global influence, writes George Will

(Newser) - As the Erie Canal marks its 200th anniversary on Sunday, columnist George Will suggests Americans take a moment to toast the "ditch" that transformed a nation. Dug with little more than muscle and ingenuity, the 363-mile canal was a marvel of its time, he writes in the Washington Post ...

Trump Yanks $2.1B for Chicago in a 'Very Bad Day for Public Transit'

President halts funds for city's subway projects over possible 'discriminatory' practices

(Newser) - The Trump administration has halted $2.1 billion in federal funds earmarked for Chicago subway projects, intensifying a standoff with Democratic leaders as the government shutdown drags on . The White House says the hold is necessary to prevent money from moving through contracts it claims may be based on...

How Shaky Is Brightline's Bet on High-Speed Rail to Vegas?

NPR checks in on the project

(Newser) - A new high-speed rail project is aiming to reshape travel between Southern California and Las Vegas, but some feasibility questions are starting to bubble up. NPR checks in on Brightline West, the company behind the effort, which in April 2024 broke ground on a 218-mile route that's poised...

Soon, Your Uber Ride Could Be a Chopper

Company to offer Blade helicopter rides as early as next year

(Newser) - Soon, hailing a ride on Uber could mean taking to the skies. The company said Wednesday it plans to introduce Blade helicopter rides via its app as early as 2026 as part of an expanded partnership with Joby Aviation, an electric air taxi developer, per CNBC . This move follows...

The Hyperloop 'Dream' Is Officially Over
A 'Dream Too Impossible for
This World' Is Now Dead
in case you missed it
Dec 24, 2023 10:35 AM CST

A 'Dream Too Impossible for This World' Is Now Dead

Hyperloop One, the futuristic mass-transit firm promising speedy travel, is shuttering

(Newser) - The Hyperloop dream is no more—at least for now. Sources tell Bloomberg that Hyperloop One, the once much-ballyhooed startup building high-speed freight trains, is shuttering and will spend its final days trying to sell its assets, including a small test track in Nevada. Most of the company's workers...

Privately Owned Rail Line Begins Key Test in Florida

Brightline launching high-speed service between Miami and Orlando

(Newser) - The first big test of whether a privately owned high-speed passenger train service can prosper in the United States will launch Friday when Florida's Brightline begins running trains between Miami and Orlando that reach speeds of 125mph. It's a $5 billion bet that Brightline's owner, Fortress Investment...

In Louisville, First Day of School Is 'Transportation Disaster'

Last Jefferson County Public Schools students were dropped off at 9:58pm

(Newser) - For some students in Kentucky's biggest school district, the first day of school turned out to be the first night of school, too. Issues with school buses on Wednesday meant the final bus riders weren't dropped off until 9:58pm, said a rep for Jefferson County Public Schools—...

'Profound Disappointment:' Yellow Trucking Won't Make It

Longstanding firm files bankruptcy, will liquidate

(Newser) - There will be no miracle recovery for the venerable Yellow trucking company. The 99-year-old firm filed for bankruptcy late Sunday, reports the Wall Street Journal . "It is with profound disappointment that Yellow announces that it is closing after nearly 100 years in business," said Chief Executive Darren Hawkins....

In France, Car Ads Will Soon Promote ... Walking

And bicycles, under new regulation that goes into effect in March

(Newser) - Beginning in March, car ads in France will increasingly promote ... bicycles. And walking, public transportation, or reducing the number of cars on the road by carpooling. That's due to a new regulation that kicks in that month that requires automakers including messaging in their ads that encourages people to...

Introducing Your New Bus Driver: Mom and Dad

Meanwhile, one school district will force many kids to walk

(Newser) - Schools in many states are having a hard time finding school bus drivers—to the extent that one school is offering to pay parents who drive their kids. The EastSide Charter School in Wilmington, Del., is offering $700 per year for each child that is dropped off and picked up....

Report Card on America's Infrastructure Is a 'Warning'

Overall score from American Society of Civil Engineers is a C-

(Newser) - America's infrastructure has scored near-failing grades for its deteriorating roads, public transit, and storm water systems due to years of inaction from the federal government, the American Society of Civil Engineers reports. Its overall grade: a mediocre C-, a slight improvement from its D+ grade in 2017, reports the...

Maine Gets Snarky With Its Road Signs

Ie, A Cold Suppah Is Bettah Thana Hot Ticket

(Newser) - It's springtime in Vacationland, and Mainers are celebrating the return of sunshine with a dose of their acerbic wit. As the Bangor Daily News reports, MaineDOT is rolling out a new round of highway signs promoting safety—and they are the work of the people of Maine who entered...

Elon Musk's Hyperloop Makes Headway in DC

Permit allows preliminary digging at abandoned lot

(Newser) - Elon Musk's dream of building a hyperloop that can move people between Washington, DC, and New York City in 29 minutes may be a small step closer to becoming a distant reality. A Nov. 29 permit issued by DC's Department of Transportation allows Musk's Boring Company to...

These Are the 10 Worst Traffic Bottlenecks in the US

And yes, a lot of them are in Los Angeles

(Newser) - Face it, with the holidays approaching we're all going to be stuck in traffic for at least a little bit. But we won't have it nearly as bad as the poor saps trying to get through the following 10 bottlenecks, which were deemed the worst in the country...

2 US Cities May Soon Get World's Fastest Train

US advances with pricey plan for 310mph train

(Newser) - Over the weekend, the federal government committed nearly $28 million to take another step toward connecting two US cities with the fastest train in the world, Bloomberg reports. According to the Wall Street Journal , the $27.8 million grant from the Department of Transportation will be used to study planning,...

The World Has a New Longest Tunnel

35-mile tunnel will carry rail passengers beneath the Swiss Alps

(Newser) - Switzerland is now officially home to the longest railway tunnel in the world: the 35-mile-long NEAT Gotthard Base Tunnel, Business Insider reports. Construction has wrapped up, and passengers will soon be able to travel from Zurich to Milan in just under three hours—an hour less than the previous travel...

$185K Raised for Man Who Walks 21 Miles to Work

Detroit Free Press story on James Robertson proves life-changing

(Newser) - The Detroit Free Press ran a front-page story this weekend about a man who walks 21 miles a day to and from work—and it's proving both the power of the press and the warmth of the human heart. The story caught the attention of a student at Wayne...

Detroit Man's Commute Is 21 Miles— on Foot

'Free Press' story spurs crowdfunding effort

(Newser) - At 8am, it's time for James Robertson, 56, to leave for work—for a job that starts at 2pm. That's because he makes much of the 23-mile journey on foot, resulting in a 21-mile round-trip walk every day, the Detroit Free Press reports. His car broke down about...

Some Highway Guardrails Can Be Deadly: Officials

Malfunction can turn rails into dangerous "spears" when hit by cars, officials say

(Newser) - Highway guardrails are, in theory, designed to keep drivers safe. But the Missouri DOT has banned a certain rail after safety concerns cropped up during an ongoing investigation, Ozarksfirst.com reports. Officials say a malfunction in the ET-Plus system made by Trinity Industries can jam a guardrail's head when...

Behind an 8-Hour Traffic Jam: Hackers?

Major Israeli road closed last month amid reported cyberattack

(Newser) - Israel's officials are deeply concerned about the threat of cyberwarfare, and an apparent attack last month in the northern city of Haifa may have validated those fears. On Sept. 8, a trojan horse attack—in which a hacker gains control over a system via software installed by unwitting users—...

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