Latest news with #Parent
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
How a generation of permitting requirements slows down California's transit projects
California's high-speed rail project has been heavily scrutinized in recent months for its long delays and rising budget. In its decision to pull federal funding from the project, the Trump administration blamed state leadership and the high-speed rail authority. A new report from a San Diego nonprofit points to third-party permitting requirements as another culprit to the project's long delays, and a reason for the slowdown on transit projects across the state. The report from the Circulate San Diego suggests that requirements first imposed decades ago to stop infrastructure projects from ripping up neighborhoods have created new hurdles that have put innovations around transportation years behind schedule. "The policies meant to restrict highways from separating communities, are now preventing the construction of public transit, meant to stitch communities together," Colin Parent, the chief executive and general council of Circulate San Diego, wrote in "The Powerless Brokers: Why California Can't Build Transit." The report was released Monday. The delays in transit projects aren't isolated to California, Parent said. But because the state's high-speed rail train is one of the most ambitious and widely criticized projects in the nation, the consequences of delays are staggering here. Multiple jurisdictions are often required to sign off on a project, outside of the leading transit agency. In the case of high-speed rail, Parent describes disputes that have occurred between the authority and city officials that have prolonged the timeline for construction. In Wasco, for example, disagreements between the city and the authority over the creation of an underpass and other projects led to years-long delays on construction and increased costs. "I think a lot of people assume that when you're building transit, the transit agency decides what projects they want to build, they get funding, they do an environmental review, and then they're ready to go and to build things. And that's just not how it works," Parent told The Times. "They have to go through a whole new series of processes to receive permits and other agreements in order to actually build the projects that they've approved, and those additional sets of processes can create all sorts of delays, additional costs and other challenges to building the projects that policymakers say that we want to do." Environmental reviews can take time, as can trying to gain public support. Not every city or county faces the same challenges when it comes to coordination on projects. The Los Angeles and Bay Area area regions each include 27 separate transit operators, Parent said. In the San Diego region, there are only two. In Los Angeles, Metro often has to coordinate with the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, Bureau of Engineering and Street Services. In the report, Parent highlighted the transit agency's extension project underneath Wilshire Boulevard for the D Line, formerly known as the Purple Line. The project saw broad support from city officials, but faced initial permitting challenges over demands by DWP and the Bureau of Engineering. In the early and middle 20th century, U.S. cities' infrastructure projects went unchecked, leading to the destruction of communities that largely displaced disadvantaged and working class residents. Perhaps no one represents the era better than the late urban planner Robert Moses, who shaped the New York City skyline and whose highway and bridge projects razed city blocks and neighborhoods. From his multiple appointed positions in state and local government, he was one of the most powerful and divisive figures in the state from the 1920s to the 1960s. In an effort to decentralize that kind of power with a system of checks and balances, community advocates pushed for laws to establish environmental standards and regulate project approval so that affected communities could be represented in decision-making. While no one has pushed for a return to the days of someone like Moses, Parent and state lawmakers in California believe that today's requirements have created new obstacles. "A lot of the rules related to permitting that have gotten in the way of building infrastructure, including public transit, have really expanded since the 70s," Parent said Monday. "There's been this multi-decade growth in the kinds of barriers and hoops that applicants and public agencies have to jump through in order to get projects." So, what's the solution? Because the delays in transit projects play out throughout the U.S., Parent believes standards in Quebec and Ontario could present a better model. There, transit agencies are allowed to self-permit if outside parties do not meet specific timeline requirements when it comes to permitting. "Those local governments are under a timeline, and if they don't review and approve or deny those permits within a period of time, then the transit agency gets to self permit," Parent said. State Sen. Scott Weiner, D-San Francisco, introduced a bill this year that takes a similar approach. With focus on high-speed rail, the bill would implement time limits on third-party's approvals and denial process. During a recent state assembly hearing, Wiener said that "any city or water district or special district where some sort of encroachment permit is required" can slow down a project's process by simply doing nothing. "They can just not respond or drag their feet - sometimes for good reason … sometimes for not good reasons - and there is nothing that, in this case, high speed rail, can do about it," he said. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Los Angeles Times
7 days ago
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Report: How permitting requirements slow down California's transit projects
California's high-speed rail project has been heavily scrutinized in recent months for its long delays and rising budget. In its decision to pull federal funding from the project, the Trump administration blamed state leadership and the high-speed rail authority. A new report from a San Diego nonprofit points to third-party permitting requirements as another culprit to the project's long delays, and a reason for the slowdown on transit projects across the state. The report from the Circulate San Diego suggests that requirements first imposed decades ago to stop infrastructure projects from ripping up neighborhoods have created new hurdles that have put innovations around transportation years behind schedule. 'The policies meant to restrict highways from separating communities, are now preventing the construction of public transit, meant to stitch communities together,' Colin Parent, the chief executive and general council of Circulate San Diego, wrote in 'The Powerless Brokers: Why California Can't Build Transit.' The report was released Monday. The delays in transit projects aren't isolated to California, Parent said. But because the state's high-speed rail train is one of the most ambitious and widely criticized projects in the nation, the consequences of delays are staggering here. Multiple jurisdictions are often required to sign off on a project, outside of the leading transit agency. In the case of high-speed rail, Parent describes disputes that have occurred between the authority and city officials that have prolonged the timeline for construction. In Wasco, for example, disagreements between the city and the authority over the creation of an underpass and other projects led to years-long delays on construction and increased costs. 'I think a lot of people assume that when you're building transit, the transit agency decides what projects they want to build, they get funding, they do an environmental review, and then they're ready to go and to build things. And that's just not how it works,' Parent told The Times. 'They have to go through a whole new series of processes to receive permits and other agreements in order to actually build the projects that they've approved, and those additional sets of processes can create all sorts of delays, additional costs and other challenges to building the projects that policymakers say that we want to do.' Environmental reviews can take time, as can trying to gain public support. Not every city or county faces the same challenges when it comes to coordination on projects. The Los Angeles and Bay Area area regions each include 27 separate transit operators, Parent said. In the San Diego region, there are only two. In Los Angeles, Metro often has to coordinate with the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, Bureau of Engineering and Street Services. In the report, Parent highlighted the transit agency's extension project underneath Wilshire Boulevard for the D Line, formerly known as the Purple Line. The project saw broad support from city officials, but faced initial permitting challenges over demands by DWP and the Bureau of Engineering. In the early and middle 20th century, U.S. cities' infrastructure projects went unchecked, leading to the destruction of communities that largely displaced disadvantaged and working class residents. Perhaps no one represents the era better than the late urban planner Robert Moses, who shaped the New York City skyline and whose highway and bridge projects razed city blocks and neighborhoods. From his multiple appointed positions in state and local government, he was one of the most powerful and divisive figures in the state from the 1920s to the 1960s. In an effort to decentralize that kind of power with a system of checks and balances, community advocates pushed for laws to establish environmental standards and regulate project approval so that affected communities could be represented in decision-making. While no one has pushed for a return to the days of someone like Moses, Parent and state lawmakers in California believe that today's requirements have created new obstacles. 'A lot of the rules related to permitting that have gotten in the way of building infrastructure, including public transit, have really expanded since the 70s,' Parent said Monday. 'There's been this multi-decade growth in the kinds of barriers and hoops that applicants and public agencies have to jump through in order to get projects.' So, what's the solution? Because the delays in transit projects play out throughout the U.S., Parent believes standards in Quebec and Ontario could present a better model. There, transit agencies are allowed to self-permit if outside parties do not meet specific timeline requirements when it comes to permitting. 'Those local governments are under a timeline, and if they don't review and approve or deny those permits within a period of time, then the transit agency gets to self permit,' Parent said. State Sen. Scott Weiner (D-San Francisco) introduced a bill this year that takes a similar approach. With focus on high-speed rail, the bill would implement time limits on third-party's approvals and denial process. During a recent state assembly hearing, Wiener said that 'any city or water district or special district where some sort of encroachment permit is required' can slow down a project's process by simply doing nothing. 'They can just not respond or drag their feet — sometimes for good reason … sometimes for not good reasons — and there is nothing that, in this case, high speed rail, can do about it,' he said.
Filipino Times
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Filipino Times
Archie comics unveils Filipino-inspired cover featuring halo-halo
Archie Comics is launching a special Philippine-exclusive variant cover of Betty & Veronica, featuring the popular Filipino dessert halo-halo. The variant cover which is created by longtime Archie artist and writer Dan Parent was designed exclusively for SuperManila Comic Con 2025, which will take place on September 6 and 7 in Makati City. The cover pays tribute to Filipino culture by reimagining the classic 'three on a straw' scene. Instead of sharing a milkshake, Archie, Betty, and Veronica are seen enjoying a glass of halo-halo topped with ube ice cream and barquillos. The comic will also feature the debut of a new character, Medusa Doom, a green-skinned, mysterious villain described as mischievous. 'This collaboration is a dream come true for Filipino Archie fans,' said SuperManila Comic Con co-organizer Sandy Sansolis in a statement. 'We're incredibly proud to partner with Archie Comics to deliver something fun, unique, and a little mischievous with Medusa Doom's debut.' The variant will be available in two limited-edition, a trade dress version and a virgin variant, the latter showcasing Parent's full artwork without any cover text. Parent is also expected to attend the convention to meet fans and sign copies of the exclusive comic.
Business Wire
23-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
WhiteHawk Completes Acquisition of PHX
PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WhiteHawk Income Corporation (together with WhiteHawk Energy, LLC and their respective subsidiaries, 'WhiteHawk' or the 'Company') announced today that it has completed the acquisition of PHX Minerals Inc. ('PHX') (NYSE: PHX). Following completion of the previously announced tender offer, WhiteHawk completed the acquisition of PHX on June 23, 2025 through a merger pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of May 8, 2025, by and among WhiteHawk Merger Sub, Inc. ('Merger Sub'), WhiteHawk Acquisition, Inc. ('Parent') and PHX. In connection with the merger, each share of PHX common stock (other than shares owned by PHX or any subsidiary of PHX, shares owned by Parent, Merger Sub or any of their respective affiliates, restricted shares held by directors, officers, and employees of PHX, and shares held by stockholders of PHX who have properly demanded and perfected the right to appraisal under Delaware law with respect to such shares) has been converted automatically into the right to receive the same consideration payable pursuant to the tender offer of $4.35 per share, net to the seller in cash, without interest and subject to any applicable tax withholding. Upon completion of the merger, PHX became a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent, a wholly-owned subsidiary of WhiteHawk Income Corporation. Shares of PHX ceased trading prior to the open of the market on June 23, 2025 and will be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange. About WhiteHawk Energy, LLC WhiteHawk Energy, LLC is focused on acquiring mineral and royalty interests in top-tier natural gas resource plays, including the Marcellus Shale and Haynesville Shale. The management team at WhiteHawk Energy has successfully grown over $13 billion of minerals, midstream, and exploration and development companies over the last 20 years. WhiteHawk Energy currently manages approximately 3,100,000 gross unit acres within core operating areas of the Marcellus Shale, Haynesville Shale and the SCOOP/STACK play in Oklahoma, with interests in more than 10,000 producing wells. Please go to for more information. About PHX Minerals Inc. PHX Minerals is a natural gas and oil mineral company with a strategy to proactively grow its mineral position in its core focus areas. PHX owns mineral acreage principally located in Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, North Dakota and Arkansas. Additional information on the Company can be found at Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This communication contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Statements concerning general economic conditions, our financial condition, including our anticipated revenues, earnings, cash flows or other aspects of our operations or operating results, and our expectations or beliefs concerning future events; and any statements using words such as 'believe,' 'expect,' 'anticipate,' 'plan,' 'intend,' 'foresee,' 'should,' 'would,' 'could,' 'may,' 'estimate,' 'outlook' or similar expressions, including the negative thereof, are forward-looking statements that involve certain factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause PHX's actual results to differ materially from those anticipated.
Washington Post
10-06-2025
- General
- Washington Post
Carolyn Hax: Parent wants to push lonely tween to work on making new friends
Adapted from an online discussion. Dear Carolyn: My older son (12, seventh grade) is awesome. He's smart, funny, creative and kind. However, he doesn't have any very close friends or a best friend, and he really wants that. There's a group of kids he hangs out with, but he's mostly on the periphery — goes to big group activities but is never invited to smaller activities like sleepovers. He plays sports and is friendly with his teammates, but, again, things haven't really clicked there. I've encouraged him to be more proactive in coordinating weekend activities with the people he likes the most, but I think he's afraid of rejection. I've also encouraged him to sign up for new or different sports/activities to make new/different friends, but I think he wants the kids he likes to like him better. I know I can't make his friends for him, and I don't want to pressure him or make him feel bad about his situation. I don't want to overtalk this because it's really his situation. But I also want to help. I don't want him to feel alone or isolated. — Parent Parent: A lot of kids muscle through entire stretches of grade school socially, for a bunch of reasons: Some are more introverted or cerebral when lunchroom natural selection doesn't favor that; some have interests that just don't align with the in-crowd's; some have diagnosable conditions (autism spectrum, ADHD, etc.) that affect social fluency; some mature ahead of or behind the herd; some have chaos at home and it's all they can do to fake 'normal' between the bells. A few examples, not a comprehensive list. Even for extroverts, it takes some luck to meet 'my people.' Whatever holds a kid back, it tends to improve with maturity, experience and the progression toward full freedom of movement that culminates in adulthood. Your boy has much young-adult exploration and self-sorting opportunity ahead, especially after high school — though high school, too, offers incremental improvement as elective paths open up. Even summer jobs crack the door to self-expression the way geometry class never will. The sigh of relief is almost audible as less-well-adapted kids start to see a bigger pool of potential friends and occupations. Your son is, just by probability, a good candidate to feel this way — plus he's not being bullied, phew, or shunned; he's accepted, he's just not embraced. I don't mean to minimize the very real loneliness of that. But he has people to sit with at lunch, he is involved in productive activities. Coasting a bit as he builds social skills is a valid approach. If nothing else, it means patience is still an option for you. That, in turn, lets you stay out of it and focus on the family side of providing him with a meaningful, fulfilling and connected childhood. He's sharing how he feels, so be there to listen, not fix things for him. Show interest in his interests. Learn to ask him good questions. (Good social modeling for him regardless.) Be the place he feels loved when he's hurt. Have family field-trip plans handy, if he needs to be conveniently out of town sometimes. In general: Watch for signs of serious distress, yes, but also let yourself appreciate the bigger story of the person he's becoming. A reader's thought: · Mom, have you ever asked Tween what he wants to do to fix this? Then be careful that you're really listening and not only hearing what supports the things you see. You're a great mom and already aware of overstepping boundaries, so maybe just make sure you're checking your perspective at the door.
