The Nation

NILAND, Calif., and PHARR, Texas — In two separate actions on Dec. 19, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in California’s El Centro Sector and at the Pharr International Bridge in Texas seized methamphetamine concealed in commercial tractor-trailers. At about 5:06 p.m., a man driving a red Freightliner tractor-trailer approached California’s Highway 111 border patrol checkpoint. Agents directed the vehicle aside for further investigation. During the inspection, a Border Patrol K-9 detection team alerted agents’ attention to the semi-truck. Both the driver- and passenger-side fuel tanks were visually inspected, and the liquid inside looked clear. Agents then noticed a cloudy, denser liquid a few inches below the clear liquid. A field narcotic testing kit was used on the cloudy liquid, which yielded a positive result for the characteristics of methamphetamine. Agents were unable to determine the weight of narcotics due to the volatile and dangerous state of the liquid meth. The El Centro Sector turned over the driver, a 25-year-old lawfully admitted for permanent residence, and the semi-truck containing the narcotics to the U. S. Drug Enforcement Administration. At the Pharr International Bridge in Texas, agents discovered $37 million worth of alleged methamphetamine when a tractor-trailer hauling a shipment of fresh tomatoes was referred for a secondary inspection, which included a nonintrusive imaging scan. Agents ultimately discover 657 packages weighing 1,853 pounds (840.5 kg) of alleged methamphetamine concealed within the trailer’s floor. CBP OFO seized the narcotics and the tractor-trailer; the case is under investigation by Homeland Security Investigations. “This interception of methamphetamines is certainly on the list of the more significant drug seizures for the Port of Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas and will definitely impact this type of illicit activity,” said Carlos Rodriguez, port director.

SEATTLE — The Seattle Department of Transportation now says reinforcing 16 bridges to better withstand earthquakes would cost hundreds of millions of dollars more than once expected. The Seattle Times reports that instead of 16 bridges, the city now plans to complete seismic retrofits on 11, leaving locations like the Ballard and Fremont bridges off the list. All told, the estimate for retrofitting the 16 bridges increased from $67 million to $731 million. City transportation officials say deeper study of the bridges revealed expensive work related to the foundations that run underground and are surrounded by soil that can be at risk of liquefying during an earthquake. With the specter of a big earthquake, local and state governments have been under pressure for years to do more to prepare. In Seattle, the cuts to seismic work are the latest trouble for the Move Seattle levy, a $930 million property tax package voters approved in 2015. City officials scaled back planned work under the levy after acknowledging costs were rising and City Hall had promised more projects than it could finish. The city’s bridges have come into new spotlight this year, as the city shut down the West Seattle Bridge due to cracking and SDOT told city auditors the department should be spending at least five times as much as it currently spends on bridge maintenance. Earthquake improvements, though, received less outside attention and weren’t considered in the audit report.

MIAMI — Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida (GSTF) and Ryder System Inc. have created a new program to teach girls across the U.S. about the supply chain. The program, Girl Scout Cookies and the Supply Chain, shows Girl Scouts how supply chain management impacts how and when products arrive in stores — while inspiring girls to see themselves working in the industry in the future. Girls from South Florida and around the country were awarded the patch Dec. 12 as part of a virtual event showing how the supply chains work (including the world’s largest girl-run business — Girl Scout Cookies). The concept and curriculum used to teach the girls was developed through a partnership between GSTF, Ryder and the University of Tennessee’s Global Supply Chain Institute. “Development of a new Girl Scout patch, particularly one as timely as supply chain management, is a real achievement,” said Lori Ross, director of girl experience for GSTF. “This was an incredible opportunity for us to partner with Ryder and the University of Tennessee to teach girls about this exciting field, especially because we can connect it to our own supply chain, cookie sales, and distribution, which the Girl Scouts pioneered.” The 43 girls who earned the patch were actively engaged in learning the journey of a Girl Scout cookie, as well as other well-known products that rely on a nationwide supply chain, including Domino’s Pizza. They also heard from women in the supply chain and logistics fields about how the supply chain affects everyone’s lives. Every year, Girl Scouts sell and distribute more than 200 million boxes of cookies nationwide and one billion worldwide. In South Florida, GSTF sells and distributes more than 400,000 boxes of cookies each year. Through its charitable foundation, Ryder sponsors the Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida, the University of Tennessee’s Global Supply Chain Institute and the university’s NeXxus Initiative, which focuses on creating a more diverse student body, including young women. Ryder provides annual scholarships to top NeXxus participants in supply chain fields, including 11 female students in 2020. “Ryder is proud to partner with the Girl Scouts, who are truly pioneers in the workings of the supply chain,” said Amy Federman, executive director of the Ryder Charitable Foundation. “Working with two of our great partners to create this patch, we’re committed to attracting more women to the industry. Including girls in that effort ensures that the introduction to logistics and supply chain concepts starts early.” Mary Long, managing director of the Global Supply Chain Institutes’ Supply Chain Forum at the University of Tennessee (UT), who has also held leadership roles with major brands including Domino’s Pizza, Pillsbury and General Mills, worked with GSTF and Ryder to develop the curriculum. “Part of the curriculum strategy included young women who are top college supply chain students at UT to talk about why they chose the field,” she said. “Videos and live interaction with these students, alumni, and veterans like myself, made the program fun and relevant for the girls.” Jessica Thomas, president of NeXxus, and the recipient of a Ryder Supply Chain Scholarship, led the effort, creating a video presentation for the girls. Thomas will graduate in 2021 and begin her career at PepsiCo. “The goal is for these girls to learn, get excited about supply chains, and imagine themselves as leaders in the industry one day,” Thomas explained. GSTF plans to work with the national Girl Scouts organization to roll out the Girl Scout Cookies and the Supply Chain curriculum to other local chapters in 2021.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Love’s Travel Stops is now serving customers in Bliss, Idaho, with the company’s largest-ever location at more than 21,000 square feet. The Bliss location opened Dec. 17, along with three other new locations — Olney, Illinois; Rockford, Illinois; and Napoleon, Ohio. “We’re closing out the year by opening four new locations, including our largest yet, to help get customers back on the road quickly and safely,” said Greg Love, co-CEO of Love’s. “Opening four locations in one day is no small feat, but our corporate and store team members know that providing clean places and friendly faces is more important now than ever.” All four locations are open 24/7 and offer laundry facilities, bean-to-cup gourmet coffee, brand-name snacks, Fresh Kitchen concept, Mobile to Go Zone with the latest electronics, a CAT scale and a dog park. The Olney, Illinois, and Bliss, Idaho, locations also have on-site Speedco. Other amenities include: Bliss, Idaho More than 21,000 square feet; McDonald’s (leased location) and Subway restaurants; 115 truck parking spaces; 88 car parking spaces; 10 RV parking spaces; Nine diesel bays; and Nine showers. Olney, Illinois More than 12,000 square feet; Arby’s restaurant; 39 truck parking spaces; 37 car parking spaces; Five diesel bays; and Six showers. Rockford, Illinois More than 12,000 square feet; Hardee’s restaurant; 88 truck parking spaces; 68 car parking spaces; Five RV parking spaces; Six diesel bays; and Five showers. Napoleon, Ohio More than 12,000 square feet; Arby’s restaurant; 80 truck parking spaces; 85 car parking spaces; Four RV parking spaces; Nine diesel bays; and Six showers. In honor of the grand openings, Love’s will host a ribbon cutting ceremony at each location and donate $2,000 to the following organizations: Helping Hearts and Hands Inc. in Bliss, Idaho; Big Brothers and Big Sisters and SWAN (Stopping Women Abuse Now) in Olney, Illinois; the Winnebago County Sheriff Department’s K-9 Unit in Rockford, Illinois; and Northwest Ohio CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) in Napoleon, Ohio.

The National Weather Service is predicting a major winter storm that’s expected to create extremely hazardous conditions in the nation’s Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions from Wednesday, Dec. 16, through at least Friday, Dec. 18. According to the National Weather Service, the storm front will bring snow in the north and rain in the south, with a wintry mix expected along the Interstate 95 corridor from the southern Appalachians to the Northeast. Heavy snow is expected to blanket areas northwest of I-95 in the Mid-Atlantic region, much of the Northeast and southern New England later today. The heaviest snowfall is expected in central Pennsylvania, with a possible accumulation of up to 2 feet, with areas from eastern West Virginia to southern Maine predicting up to 1 foot of snow. In anticipation of hazardous conditions, some states and cities are already implementing inclement weather restrictions. All drivers are encouraged to check weather and road conditions and avoid travel, if possible. Pennsylvania In preparation for a major winter storm event, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) are advising motorists to avoid all unnecessary travel during the storm, and are anticipating that restrictions on trucks and other vehicles will be imposed on certain roadways around the state. Effective 1:00 p.m. local time on Wednesday, Dec. 16, PennDOT and PTC anticipate Level 1 weather event vehicle restrictions to be in effect on the following roadways: All northbound and southbound miles of Route 33; Interstate 76 (Schuylkill Expressway) from the Pennsylvania Turnpike to Interstate 95; All eastbound and westbound miles of Interstate 78; Interstate 80 from Interstate 99 to the New Jersey border; All northbound and southbound miles of Interstate 81; All northbound and southbound miles of Interstate 83; All eastbound and westbound miles of Interstate 84; Interstate 95 from the Delaware border to the New Jersey border; All eastbound and westbound miles of Interstate 283; All northbound and southbound miles of Interstate 380; Interstate 476 from the Pennsylvania Turnpike to Interstate 95; All eastbound and westbound miles of Interstate 676; All northbound and southbound miles of Interstate 295; All eastbound and westbound miles on the Pennsylvania Turnpike from the Breezewood interchange to the New Jersey border; and All northbound and southbound miles on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension (Interstate 476) from Interstate 76 to the Clark Summit interchange. Under Level 1 restrictions, the following vehicles are not permitted on affected roadways: Tractors without trailers; Tractors towing unloaded or lightly loaded enclosed trailers, open trailers or tank trailers; Tractors towing unloaded or lightly loaded tandem trailers; Enclosed cargo delivery trucks that meet the definition of a CMV; Passenger vehicles (cars, SUV’s, pickup trucks, etc.) towing trailers; Recreational vehicles/motorhomes; and School buses, commercial buses and motor coaches; and motorcycles. As of 4 p.m. local time Dec. 16, PennDOT and PTC anticipate Level 3 weather event restrictions to go into effect on the following roadways: All northbound and southbound miles of Route 33; All eastbound and westbound miles of Interstate 78; Interstate 80 from Interstate 99 to the New Jersey border; All northbound and southbound miles of Interstate 81; All northbound and southbound miles of Interstate 83; All eastbound and westbound miles of Interstate 84; All eastbound and westbound miles of Interstate 283; All northbound and southbound miles of Interstate 380; Interstate 476 from the Pennsylvania Turnpike to Interstate 95; All eastbound and westbound miles on the Pennsylvania Turnpike from the Breezewood interchange to the New Jersey border; and All northbound and southbound miles on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension (Interstate 476) from Interstate 76 to the Clark Summit interchange. When Level 3 restrictions are in place, no commercial vehicles are permitted EXCEPT loaded single trailers with chains or approved alternate traction devices. Additionally, all school buses, commercial buses, motor coaches, motorcycles, RVs/motorhomes and passenger vehicles (cars, SUVs, pickup trucks, etc.) towing trailers are not permitted on affected roadways while restrictions are in place. New Jersey New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti has issued a commercial vehicle travel restriction on multiple Interstate highways in New Jersey starting at 1 p.m. local time on Wednesday, Dec. 16. Winter weather is expected to begin in the southern region of the state around midday and move northward, resulting in difficult driving conditions. The travel restrictions are being coordinated with neighboring states. In addition to the commercial restrictions, all motorists are strongly encouraging to stay off the roads. The commercial vehicle travel restriction will begin at 1 p.m. Dec. 16 and will be in place for the length of the following highways in both directions: Interstate 78, from the Pennsylvania border to Interstate 95 (New Jersey Turnpike); Interstate 80, from the Pennsylvania border to Interstate 95 (New Jersey Turnpike); Interstate 195, from Interstate 295 to NJ Route 138; Interstate 280, from Interstate 80 to Interstate 95 (New Jersey Turnpike); Interstate 287, from NJ Route 440 to the New York State border; Interstate 295, from Interstate 195 to the Scudders Falls Bridge (Pennsylvania border); and NJ Route 440, from the Outerbridge Crossing to Interstate 287. The commercial vehicle travel restriction applies to: All tractor trailers, barring exceptions listed in the administrative order; Empty straight CDL-weighted trucks; Passenger vehicles pulling trailers; Recreational vehicles; and Motorcycles. This restriction does not apply to: The New Jersey Turnpike; The Garden State Parkway; The Atlantic City Expressway; or Public-safety vehicles, sworn and civilian public safety personnel, or other personnel directly supporting health care facilities or critical infrastructure such as providing fuel or food. Trucks that are already in New Jersey when the travel restrictions go into place are encouraged to pull off in truck stops to wait out the storm. Do not park on the shoulders, NJDOT warned. New York According to the National Weather Service, a major winter storm is expected to significantly impact much of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast on Wednesday into Thursday. A widespread swath of heavy wet snow is likely from the central Appalachians and interior Mid-Atlantic into portions of the Northeast and southern New England. Freezing rain and ice are also likely in western North Carolina and southwest Virginia. Travel is not recommended. According to a statement issued by the Trucking Association of New York, at this time there are no statewide commercial vehicle restrictions planned; however, there is a potential for commercial vehicle restrictions in the mid-Hudson valley area as the storm intensifies. In New York City, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority will implement an empty tractor trailer and tandem ban on its facilities beginning at 4 p.m. local time on Wednesday, Dec. 16. The New York City Department of Transportation plans to suspend over-dimensional travel from 10 p.m. Wednesday night, Dec. 16, through 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17. Applications for travel will not be processed during this time, and applications currently in the system will be rejected. Additionally, all approved day permits for day travel on Thursday, Dec. 17, will be voided. Emergency moves will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

PORTAGE, Mich. — The first of many freezer-packed COVID-19 vaccine vials made their way to distribution sites across the U.S. on Sunday, Dec. 13, as the nation’s pandemic deaths approached the horrifying new milestone of 300,000. The rollout of the Pfizer vaccine, the first to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration, ushers in the biggest vaccination effort in U.S. history — one that health officials hope the American public will embrace, even as some have voiced initial skepticism or worry. Shots are expected to be given to health care workers and nursing home residents beginning Monday. Quick transport is key for the vaccine, especially since this one must be stored at extremely low temperatures — about 94 degrees below zero. Early Sunday, workers at Pfizer — dressed in fluorescent yellow clothing, hard hats and gloves — wasted no time as they packed vials into boxes. They scanned the packages and then placed them into freezer cases with dry ice. The vaccines were then taken from Pfizer’s Portage, Michigan, facility to Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, where the first cargo plane took off amid what airport officials called a “jubilant” mood. “This is a historic day,” said Richard W. Smith, who oversees operations in the Americas for FedEx Express, which is delivering 630-some packages of vaccine to distribution sites across the country. United Parcel Service also is transporting a share of the vaccine. Helping with the transport of the vaccine has special meaning to Bruce Smith, a FedEx package handler at the Grand Rapids airport, whose older sister, Queen, died after she contracted the coronavirus in May. She was hospitalized in Georgia one day after he saw her on a video chat, and they never spoke again. “I think she would be ecstatic to know that something that has ravaged our family — that a family member is going to be part of such a big project,” said Smith, 58, whose nephew, Queen’s son, also got sick and is still undergoing therapy for stroke-like symptoms. “It is very, very important.” Tracked with GPS-enabled sensors, the initial shipments were expected to contain about 3 million doses, with many more to come. Federal officials say the first shipments of Pfizer’s vaccine will be staggered, arriving in 145 distribution centers Monday, with another 425 sites getting shipments Tuesday, and the remaining 66 on Wednesday. Doses of the vaccine, co-developed by German partner BioNTech, are given out based on each state’s adult population. Then the states decide where they go first. In California, where health care workers will be among the first to be vaccinated, state health officials are prioritizing hospitals that have adequate storage capacity, serve high-risk populations and have the ability to vaccinate people quickly. Initial surveys have found that even some health care workers don’t want to be first in line. Dr. Graham Snyder, who’s led the vaccine task force at Pennsylvania health care giant UPMC, estimates that about half of its employees are willing to get the vaccine as soon as it’s offered. But many health officials expect enthusiasm to grow. “There’s that thought that maybe they don’t have to be so afraid to come to work if they can be vaccinated and be immune,” said Dr. Sandra Kemmerly, medical director of hospital quality at the 40-hospital Oschner Health System in Louisiana and Mississippi. Employees approved for the first round are getting texts and emails directing them to schedule their initial injection, she said. Enough vaccine is being saved so that each person who gets the first dose of vaccine can get a second required shot a few weeks later. Senior U.S. government officials, including some White House officials who work in close proximity to President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, are among those who will be offered coronavirus vaccines as soon as this week, two people familiar with the matter confirmed. A survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about half of Americans want to get the vaccine as soon as possible. Another quarter aren’t sure, while the remaining quarter say they aren’t interested. Some simply oppose vaccines in general. Others are concerned that the vaccines have been rushed and want to see how the rollout goes. Dr. Stephen Hahn, commissioner of the FDA, which approved the Pfizer vaccine Friday, has repeatedly insisted that the agency’s decision was based on science, not politics, despite a White House threat to fire him if the vaccine wasn’t approved before Saturday. Speaking to Fox News Sunday, Dr. Moncef Slaoui, chief science adviser to Operation Warp Speed, a U.S. effort to get vaccines developed quickly, also said he is “very concerned” about the skepticism about the vaccine in some circles. “Unfortunately … there’s been a confusion between how thorough and scientific and factual the work that has been done is, and the perception that people are thinking that we cut corners …,” Slaoui said. “I can guarantee you that no such things have happened, that we follow the science.” He called the development of vaccines from several pharmaceutical companies, including Moderna and AstraZeneca, “a remarkable achievement of science, academia, the industry ecosystem and the U.S. government, working together.” While the vaccine was determined to be safe, regulators in the U.K. are investigating several severe allergic reactions. The FDA’s instructions tell providers not to give it to those with a known history of severe allergic reactions to any of its ingredients. The Moderna vaccine will be reviewed by an expert panel Thursday and soon afterward could be allowed for public use. By Martha Irvine and Morry Gash, The Associated Press. Irvine reported from Chicago. Associated Press writer Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — While many Wyomingites’ experiences during the pandemic have been shaped by state- or county-level reactions, truck drivers in the area have been exposed to a patchwork of responses across the nation. Situated at the nexus of Interstates 25 and 80, Cheyenne is a popular stop for truckers hauling goods across the U.S. Truckers who stop in Wyoming’s capital city could be headed to any state in the country, and with that comes the chance to observe stark regional differences. Perhaps no period in recent memory has revealed those regional differences more than the past nine months. Since March, the nation has grappled with conflicting views on how to address the COVID-19 pandemic, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 275,000 Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “State by state, things were so different,” said Hamilton Byrd, a longtime Cheyenne resident who drove semi-trucks up until the middle of last summer, when he quit to pursue his event business full-time. “There were places that were really strict that had statewide mask mandates way back in April. With corporate entities, you’d see the same thing, too. You’d show up to a Love’s Travel Stop in Wyoming, for instance, and it feels like business as usual. Then you’d show up to a Love’s in California, and it feels like a different world,” he said. “That was one really interesting observation I had — just seeing how diced up we all were,” said Byrd. He also noted that, from his view, truck stops — like airports or bus depots — are places where people from all over the country — including virus hotspots — congregate. “These were hotspots or relatively volatile areas,” Byrd said. “When you jump into one truck stop that has no care in the world, it was nerve-racking.” Vicente Lopez, who owns True Grace Farm and Truck in Cheyenne and has driven trucks since 1987, said it’s never been difficult to keep to himself on the road, adding that he’s not particularly concerned about the threat of the virus as it is. However, in some areas, he did encounter regulations so strict is affected his life on the road, the Wyoming Tribune Eagle reported. “I anticipated getting my shower and everything when I got up in the morning, and they had shut down their showers,” Lopez recalled about a truck stop he stayed at in Louisiana. “I wasn’t able to get my shower the next morning. That was tricky.” Sheila Foertsch, managing director of the Wyoming Trucking Association, said a lot of truckers encountered similar issues at the onset of the pandemic. “Early on, drivers who go coast to coast were having difficulties finding places to park and rest, as well as difficulty finding places to eat. A lot of states closed restaurants, and that included dine-in truck stops,” Foertsch said. “But the truck stops did a good job of pushing back and saying that they need to be open — even if it’s in a modified capacity — to serve food to essential workers.” One the pandemic’s biggest effects on the trucking industry, Foertsch said, has been the type of goods truckers are transporting. “Everyone involved at the beginning of the pandemic that was transporting medical supplies and groceries became very busy, but if you weren’t hauling that kind of stuff, you might have seen a slight downturn in business because of the closings,” she said, noting that Wyoming was less affected because it never fully closed restaurants. Rather, the downturn in the energy industry — which has been caused by reduced travel during the pandemic, the collapse of coal and the Saudi-Russia oil price war — has most affected Wyoming truckers’ profits. “You have trucks transporting equipment for both the coal mines, as well as oil and gas. You have transportation of fuel that goes into the mines and the rigs,” Foertsch said. “Any kind of energy downturn is reflected in the trucking industry.” Booie Bears, a Wellington, Colorado-based trucker who frequently drives through Cheyenne, said about 80% of his business was geared toward hauling oil and gas industry products prior to the pandemic. “When COVID-19 came, the price of oil went way down. The pandemic didn’t just shut down our society, it shut down whole industries. Oil and gas seemed like it stopped overnight,” said Bears, who was forced to lay off several of his employees as a result. “I had to scramble and try to find different avenues to diversify the company,” he said, noting that he’s shifted to hauling commodities, such as corn and wheat, as well as consumer products sold by Amazon. The rise in remote working, too, has affected the products Bears’ company has been transporting during the pandemic. “Aside from commodities and household goods, a lot of people are moving from bigger cities to smaller states or cities to try to save money or downsize their homes,” he said. “We’ve pulled a lot of moving trailers.” Bears is hopeful that his business will rebound as the pandemic subsides, but he’s not sure when that will happen. In the meantime, driving across the country in 2020 has shown him the same reality Byrd and Lopez noticed on their routes: Concern over the virus varies dramatically, depending on where you stop. “You could go up into Wyoming or Montana or South Dakota in the middle of the pandemic and still sit down in a restaurant and eat a meal,” Bears said. “It seems like there’s a line drawn in the sand when you hit Colorado and the Southwest. Everything was totally shut down. You couldn’t even get fuel without a mask.” Story by Kathryn Palmer, Wyoming Tribune Eagle

WASHINGTON — Rahm Emanuel’s chances of landing a top Cabinet post in Joe Biden’s administration appear increasingly unlikely after the former Chicago mayor emerged as a source of controversy for the president-elect, who had been considering Emanuel for transportation secretary, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. Emanuel, among multiple candidates in the running for the Cabinet position, appeared to slip down the list in the last two weeks after progressive leaders, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, criticized the prospect of nominating him for the post, the person said Dec. 10. That concern has grown deeper in recent days, particularly after the Rev. Al Sharpton raised similar concerns during a meeting with Biden and other civil rights leaders, the person said. The person was not authorized to publicly discuss private deliberations and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity. A decision hasn’t been finalized, and the dynamics could shift as Biden builds out his Cabinet with an eye to ensuring diverse leadership in the top ranks of his administration. Whether Emanuel is ultimately picked could also be affected by other factors as Biden has placed a premium on building out a Cabinet and team of senior advisers from a diverse set of backgrounds, according to people familiar with the transition’s deliberations. The dynamic, perhaps more than progressives’ opposition to him, is an important factor in whether Biden eventually asks Emanuel to join the administration in a Cabinet role, according to two people familiar with deliberations who spoke on the condition of anonymity. An announcement on transportation secretary is not believed to be imminent. Representatives for the Biden transition and for Emanuel declined to comment. Emanuel, a former congressman who also served as former President Barack Obama’s first White House chief of staff, has been a significant force in Democratic Party politics for much of the last three decades. However, progressives and civil rights leaders have been critical of his handling of the high-profile police shooting death of Laquan McDonald, a Black teenager killed by a white officer, during his time as Chicago’s mayor. Emanuel’s allies have pointed to his extensive work making transportation issues top priorities as Chicago’s mayor, including reviving the city’s public transportation system and overhauling the city’s two worn airports. Emanuel also is credited with making Chicago one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the country during his time in office.   The allies also have argued that Emanuel’s breadth of experience and knowledge of Congress would make him uniquely positioned to lead the department, which includes the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration and others. The new secretary would inherit an agency at a time the airline industry has been decimated by the coronavirus pandemic, with many airlines turning to massive job cuts. The pick would also be responsible for ensuring that priorities that have been pushed for years are carried out, including ensuring railroads across the U.S. implement critical speed-control technology, known as positive train control, that federal safety investigators have been pushing for close to five decades. The Associated Press reported in 2017 that crashes that federal officials believed could have been prevented by positive train control led to nearly 300 deaths and thousands of injuries and almost $400 million in property damage. Emanuel was among a number of candidates being considered for America’s top transportation post, including New York City transit chief and former Federal Railroad Administrator Sarah Feinberg — a major proponent of positive train control in the Obama administration — and ex-New York City transportation commissioner Polly Trottenberg, the person said. Two other high profile Obama-era alumni were announced Dec. 10 as joining the Biden administration — Denis McDonough as veterans’ affairs secretary and Susan Rice to head the Domestic Policy Council. By Michael Balsamo and Aamer Madhani, Associated Press, with contributions by Associated Press writer Michael R. Sisak in New York.