NATIONAL NEWS

Streetsblog: The Freedom to Not Drive
http://streetsblog.net/2010/07/06/the-freedom-to-not-drive/
...t’s obligatory for bloggers and editorial writers on Independence Day weekend to find a way – usually a tortured way – to tie their favorite theme to the national theme of freedom. We’re up for that. We’ve often used “independence from traffic congestion” to describe what Honolulu rail will mean for commuters who choose to ride the city’s future train. It’s also obligatory for rail supporters to hammer away at this theme — freedom from morning and evening traffic woes that can destroy the spirit of all those stuck in congestion that’s bound to grow with increases in population and the number of vehicles in the morning and evening commutes…

STATE NEWS

Health Day: City Cycling Seems to Have More Upsides Than Down
http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20100704/hl_hsn/citycyclingseemstohavemoreupsidesthandown
The health benefits of cycling in an urban environment outweigh risks posed by air pollution and accidents, a new study has concluded.

WTHR: A new push to add jobs, fix bridges
http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=12766011
There's a new push to bring nearly half-a-million jobs to Indiana to help rebuild bridges and overpasses. The "Build Indiana 2010" campaign is a two-fold initiative: to get thousands of construction workers back on the job while at the same time repairing Indiana's infrastructure. The campaign kicks off Wednesday at one of those deteriorating bridges.

West Fargo Pioneer: Time for North Dakota to invest in itself
http://www.westfargopioneer.com/event/article/id/16779/group/Opinion/
...State Budget Director Pam Sharp just reported to the Legislature’s Budget Section that revenue for the state’s oil trust fund would be $500 million – twice the original estimate. Even without these figures, General Wesley Clark, an investment and energy consultant, predicted to the Renewable Energy Action Summit at Bismarck State College that North Dakota would be the future energy capital of North America if we invested in the future. All of this oil money means that the state government will have massive amounts to give away for riotous living or to invest in the education, economic, people, energy and water infrastructures that will serve North Dakotans for generations to come.