September 22, 2023

Global Edition

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US Politics Bulletin: House Republicans Led by Kevin McCarthy Falter on Funding Plans, as Shutdown Inches Closer (Washington Post)

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House Republicans for the second week in a row failed to move forward on any legislation related to funding the government, stunning many in their ranks as a government shutdown looms next week.

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The status of negotiations on both a short-term funding solution and long-term appropriations legislation declined so severely Thursday that lawmakers began to return home, with no votes scheduled for the rest of the week.

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Republicans' inability to pass a single funding provision since returning to Washington last week — including twice failing to start debate on a Defense Department appropriations bill — is the latest embarrassment for the conference whose direction is being dictated not by leaders but a handful of stubborn holdouts.

Latest in Urban Innovation.

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A Showstopping Piece of Green Infrastructure: Secrets of the World’s Coolest Bike Tunnel (Bloomberg CityLab)

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History buffs know the Norwegian city of Bergen as a hub of the legendary Hanseatic League, a medieval confederation of merchants that dominated Northern European commerce as far back as the 1300s.

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But Bergen’s most recent attraction is a more unique one: A three-kilometer bike-pedestrian pathway that was bored through a mountain called the Fyllingsdalen tunnel.

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During the last two decades, Bergen officials have sought to expand alternatives to driving, including constructing two light rail lines. The regional Green Pledge seeks to reduce car traffic 20% by 2030 through measures like improved transit service, congestion tolling and sidewalk expansions. The city of Bergen goes even further, targeting a 30% traffic reduction.

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The tunnel makes a potentially strenuous journey far less daunting, shaving around 15 minutes off what used to be a 40-minute slog around a 477-meter mountain while also providing shelter from Bergen’s frequent rainstorms. The temperature inside is a steady 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius) year round.

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It’s also a very delightful riding experience. The three-kilometer journey feels largely flat, with a barely perceptible curve. Next to the generously proportioned bike lanes there’s a slightly elevated, bright blue walkway made from a rubber compound frequently found on running tracks. Overhead, colorful lights cycle through a rainbow of shades every few hundred meters.

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At its midpoint, the city has installed benches and an artificial sundial, along with a brightly colored sculpture that looks like a heart when approached from the east but a spiral from the west. Click here to read more about what Bergen's leaders think of this new stunning piece of bicycle infrastructure.

Children ride through the Fyllingsdalen tunnel in Bergen, Norway, in June. (Photo credit: Sergei Gapon/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

What I'm Reading.

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Zelenskiy in DC: Ukrainian Leader Delivers Upbeat Message to US Lawmakers on War Progress as Republican Support Softens (Associated Press)

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Continuing to show support for the Ukrainian people, the Biden administration announced another $325 million in aid Thursday as Zelenskiy visited the White House in a package that includes improved conventional munitions, or cluster munitions, and ammunition for rocket systems.

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Inflation Watch: Russia’s Diesel Ban Threatens to Roil Global Markets—If It Lasts (Bloomberg)

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US Economy Watch: Larry Summers Says Fed Has Caught Soft-Landing Bug, And Inflation Surprise Could Still Loom (Bloomberg)

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Hope for Safer Communities: President Biden is Creating a New White House Office Focused on Gun Violence Prevention (Politico)

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Since taking office, the president has taken a slew of executive actions, and his administration has invested in community violence intervention. And following back-to-back shootings in Buffalo, N.Y., and Uvalde, Texas, in 2022, the White House worked with a bipartisan coalition in Congress to pass the first gun legislation into law in nearly three decades.

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Stefanie Feldman, a longtime Biden aide who previously worked on the Domestic Policy Council, will play a leading role in the office. Rob Wilcox, the senior director for federal government affairs at Everytown for Gun Safety, is also expected to hold a key role in the office.

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Holding the Gun Industry Accountable: Everytown Launches First-of-its-Kind Database on Guns Used & Recovered in Mass Shootings (Everytown for Gun Safety)

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New Season of 'Succession': Rupert Murdoch to Leave Helm of Empire After Seven Decades (Bloomberg)

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Strong Tech Demand: Apple’s iPhone 15 Goes on Sale with Sold Out Pre-Orders and Early Morning Lines (Bloomberg)

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Coffee Chaos: Your Starbucks Wait Is So Long Because There Are 383 Billion Latte Varieties to Choose From (Bloomberg)

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Tomorrow in NYC: Red Hot Chili Peppers, K-Pop's Jung Kook to Headline Global Citizen Festival as 60,000 Expected in Central Park (Global Citizen)

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Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month: NYC's First-of-its-Kind Latin Night Market Kicks Off Tonight in Upper Manhattan (CBS News)

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Dyckman Street in Inwood will transform into a party tonight when the city’s first Latin Night Market hits the town with live music, dance performances, and food from the Latin American and Hispanic diaspora.

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Guests can expect to find food from Latin American countries including Colombia, El Salvador, and Ecuador: empanadas, arepas, tacos, pupusas, chicharrones and more. The event will also feature live music and dance performances showcasing salsa, reggae, rumba, and Latin pop music. The market runs from 4PM to 10PM tonight on Dyckman Street between Dyckman Plaza and Inwood Park. Click here for more on joining the fun.

Weekend Streaming Guide.

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'Paris to Pittsburgh' (Disney+)

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This 2018 documentary from National Geographic, produced in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies, couldn't be more relevant today. The film brings to life the impassioned efforts and inspiring responses of individuals from across the United States who are battling the most severe threats from climate change. Click here to watch the trailer for the film, and click here to stream the full feature on Disney+.

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'The Morning Show' (Apple TV+)

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Jennifer Anniston and Reese Witherspoon are back for season 3 of this Emmy Award-winning show on the behind-the-scenes of early morning TV, with the workplace drama only picking up steam as the talk show crew deal with a threatening cybersecurity attack. Click here to stream.

Best of Late Night.

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With late night shows on hiatus due to the Hollywood writers strike, here are some throwback one-liners from the late night shows:

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On Donald Trump saying in a 2022 interview with Sean Hannity that he could declassify documents with his mind, although he clearly didn't considering he has been indicted dozens of times since for his mishandling of classified information:

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"Trump’s argument is that you can just declassify things in your mind, it’s officially declassified as long as you believe it’s declassified. That’s according to Trump’s newest legal adviser, Tinkerbell."

-- Seth Meyers, on a 2022 episode of 'The Late Show'

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"He couldn’t even read documents with his brain - how does this happen?"

-- Trevor Noah, on a 2022 episode of 'The Daily Show'

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"So Trump is saying that he declassified these documents just by thinking about it, which I don’t even believe, because that would be the first time in his life that Trump has thought something and not said it out loud."

-- Trevor Noah, on a 2022 episode of 'The Daily Show'

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"Hannity was like, 'Oh, I get it, you’re going to plead insanity.'"

-- Jimmy Fallon, on a 2022 episode of 'The Tonight Show'

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