Topic: Buses

Green Mountain Transit in Vermont removed five new Flyer electric buses from service following a battery recall due to fire hazards. The buses, which are less than a year old, currently sit idle in the snow because they require temperatures of at least 41 degrees to charge. Local agencies are sharing resources to maintain transit schedules during the subfreezing winter weather.

Public transit in Porto, Portugal, has returned to using hydrogen-powered buses after a period of utilizing natural gas vehicles. This shift mirrors an earlier EU project from the early 2000s called CUTE that initially introduced hydrogen technology to the city. Observations of the new buses note they are smooth but potentially top-heavy due to roof-mounted battery systems.

Vice President Kamala Harris visited Seattle to promote a $1 billion program for electric school buses. In contrast, Republican rising star Kari Lake campaigned at a rodeo, mocking her opponent's stance on gender identity by challenging her to "milk a bull" to understand basic biology.

The relocation of migrants to Martha's Vineyard involved coordination between the governors of Florida and Texas. While the flights were funded by Florida, the migrants were reportedly picked up in San Antonio, Texas, after expressing a desire to travel to sanctuary cities in the north.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot criticized Texas Governor Greg Abbott for busing illegal immigrants to her city, calling the move a violation of basic rights. Lightfoot linked the busing strategy to Texas's policies on reproductive healthcare, stating that she would welcome Texans to Chicago. The ongoing dispute highlights the tension between "sanctuary cities" and border states over federal immigration policy.

Vice President Kamala Harris promoted electric school buses by claiming that children are exposed to 90 days of diesel exhaust over their school careers. Critics argue the claim is scientifically dubious and that modern diesel buses use "AdBlue" (urea) systems to significantly reduce emissions, making the push for electric replacements unnecessary.

The CDC has updated its masking recommendations, advising that 70% of Americans can stop wearing masks indoors based on local hospital capacity. While mask requirements have been dropped for school buses, they remain in effect for public transportation until at least March 18th. New York City continues to require universal masking in schools despite the new federal guidance.

A review of Kamala Harris's performance in the Democratic primary debates highlights her past clashes with Joe Biden over busing and segregationists. During a notable exchange, Tulsi Gabbard criticized Harris's record as Attorney General of California, citing the incarceration of 1,500 people for marijuana violations and the blocking of evidence in death row cases. Harris defended her record as a "national model" for reform while Gabbard demanded an apology for those who suffered under her tenure.

NBC News faced criticism for its segment packaging, which combined reporting on the census with coverage of the Democratic primary debate between Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. The report highlighted Biden's comments about being unprepared for Harris's attacks regarding his past stance on busing.

Kamala Harris challenged Joe Biden during the debate regarding his 1970s opposition to federally mandated busing for school integration. Biden defended his record at Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow PUSH Coalition, arguing that a 60-second debate exchange cannot represent a lifetime of civil rights work.

The hosts analyze Kamala Harris's personal narrative regarding school integration in Berkeley, California. They cite reports suggesting Berkeley schools were already integrated by the time she attended and discuss her privileged upbringing, including summer vacations in India, which some critics in the ADOS community find disingenuous.

Boris Johnson, a frontrunner for the UK Conservative leadership, gave a bizarre interview where he claimed his hobby is making model buses out of wine crates. Critics suggest the story was a "dead cat" maneuver to manipulate Google search results away from a recent domestic dispute.

London's infrastructure and the prevalence of double-decker buses are compared to transit systems in San Francisco and the East Bay. Observations are made regarding the changing skyline of London, including the appearance of new "pointy" buildings and the status of the Gherkin. The discussion notes that while London has used double-deckers for decades, US systems like AC Transit are only recently adopting them for high-capacity transportation.

Charter buses transporting Apple and Google employees from San Francisco to Silicon Valley have been targeted by a gunman using a BB gun or rifle. The California Highway Patrol and the FBI are investigating at least 20 incidents occurring along the I-280 and Highway 101 corridors.

Project Veritas released undercover footage of a New York City Democratic Election Commissioner explaining how the party "rigs the vote" by busing people to different polling stations. The commissioner claims that a lack of voter ID laws allows for widespread fraud, particularly in certain neighborhoods. The hosts debate whether this fraud is significant enough to change the election outcome.

Unmarked buses carrying high-tech workers in San Francisco have become symbols of wealth disparity and gentrification. Activists in the Mission District criticize the "limousine-like" vehicles for representing a divide between new tech employees and long-time working-class residents.

The Department of Homeland Security issued a warning about potential terror attacks on buses, citing documents found in Osama bin Laden's compound. The hosts mock the timing of the warning just before the holiday travel season. Additionally, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake occurred in South Texas, which the hosts link to deep-well water injection practices.

Sao Paulo, Brazil, currently holds the title for the world's largest bus terminal, serving a nation that relies heavily on bus travel due to a lack of passenger trains. The city utilizes triple-articulated "bendy" buses that operate in dedicated lanes separated from standard traffic. These high-capacity vehicles allow for efficient transit through the city's otherwise congested streets.