so we're going to jump right in and start with a bit of an infrastructure place setting and then look at rail for that we turn to our to correspondent manilla chan. president truck campaign for months and months on repairing america's crumbling infrastructure from the roadways to waterways railways to the airways and has recently unveiled a plan to bring america up to speed we're here today to discuss the critical need to rebuild america's crumbling infrastructure. and one understands and the people in this room really understand better than most probably hopefully better than anybody that the problem the states have and local leaders have with funding the infrastructure is horrendous. and we will build we will maintain and the vast majority of americans want to see us take care of our infrastructure.

infrastructure is the backbone of the us economy and a necessary input to every economic output those are the opening lines in the most recent report from the american society of civil engineers their study aptly called the failure to act a report minces no words in their frustration with the budget shortfalls in infrastructure and highlighted that america is consistently at about a two trillion dollar short ball when it comes to infrastructure according to the a.s.c. if this investment gap is not addressed by the year two thousand and twenty five the economy is expected to lose almost four trillion dollars in total g.d.p. which can result in a job loss of about two point five million people across the country u.s. railways once connected the entire country from sea to shining sea much of america's goods are still pulled along by rail millions of cargo loads of coal chemicals paper goods new cars agricultural goods all the way down to other consumer goods like the i phone you may be watching on all get moved as train car

go every year every day tens of millions of americans rely on public transportation to get to and from work without it america's economy would come to a crashing halt but without proper repairs to america's infrastructure the country stands to fall behind to places like china tens of millions of passengers use various forms of rail transit every year from amtrak to their local metro but with frequent delays electrical failures and in several extreme cases both amtrak and local commuter rails have experienced deadly human error catastrophes and although the president promised to fix infrastructure problems such as these former congressman jim moran is doubtful that he'll keep his campaign promise. in washington really believes. that it will have any that's going to happen is going to have to be done by states and localities and he just took away the money from this from the high growth states that needed that state local tax deductibility

p.t.c. or positive train control was mandated by congress back in two thousand and fifteen following a deadly amtrak wreck which killed eight in philadelphia but after lobbying efforts by train companies congress pushed that requirement by three years to twenty eighteen places like europe and japan have not only had p.t.c. on their tracks for more than a decade providing a safer more secure buy but now china has launched their most ambitious bullet train project that will also cut commute time by nearly seventy percent will america be able to catch up if we bring the private ingenuity like you know a mosque and other private as they can bill rail systems faster than the public ten . we're still dealing in the public in rail with an eighteen thousand nine hundred century model and we're still trying to think about how to do it the way we did in

the old days of standard and poor in the early parts of the twentieth century but we're going to twenty first century and we're talking about the rest of the world having high speed rail systems for years and they're benefiting from that this is a short list of some of the world's fastest trains on the left side is the trains operational speed on the right the best recorded test speed for each chain is currently running maglev train barrels through a swift three hundred fifty kilometers an hour and their soon to launch foo xing train will have maximum speeds of up to four hundred kilometers an hour america certainly has a long way to go before seeing such technology on its tracks stateside especially since infrastructure spending in the u.s. has remained flat since one thousand nine hundred eighty nine so with constant lobbying efforts congressional. isn't it of safety requirements and bureaucracy that stifles innovation america's railways may remain a relic of the twentieth century manila chan.

american always on the move and mass public transportation is an incredibly important intra gold part of our infrastructure system especially in the urban areas the nation what is the u.s. transit system up to par or to sarah vaughan toes the pixels on a little trip to find out as congress continues to fight political gridlock over various pro-creation bills hot button issues that are free in the wall there's one issue both sides of the aisle agree on infrastructure in the united states is crumbling and the congress and the white house continue to battle over the trillions of dollars and much needed repairs transit systems across the u.s. are literally falling apart here in washington d.c. the metro rail system has received more marks from the federal transit administration failure to repair significant issues with their tracks there is safety features such as lighting radio connection inside their tunnels even service communication among workers have all contributed to their failing grade. back. to

out fields much as fire agency is now engaged in a legal battle with the contractor that used to be concrete mix for walls at a news station in the meantime ridership to find and the agency is asking for even more money to billion for the next decade up from one point five billion from the previous ten years and while metro is making a push for more funds to improve the infrastructure it recently opened a gift shop with items like one hundred ninety dollars much as the cufflinks and thirty dollars t. shirts scream printed with metro's rail system our reactions from riders came swift with comments like quit with the self-congratulatory t. shirts just focus on getting the trains to run on time and station new york city's transit artery that connects the island. amtrak rails to the rest of the country needs over thirty billion in repairs for its tunnels damaged during hurricane sandy the so-called gateway project is now political football caught in

a feud with democrats and president trump when he ordered republicans term of four hundred million dollars set aside for the project in the fiscal year twenty thousand omnibus bill and across the united states several railroad operators are struggling to implement trucking technologies that are set to automatically slow train down around curve for several fatal travail ments have occurred in recent years technology term positive train control or p.t.c. must be installed by december thirty first of this year although congress has appropriated hundreds of millions of dollars for grants through the federal railroad administration to install the technology many railroad operators are failing to reach key milestones to ensure the december thirty first deadline to make matters worse president trumps recently released infrastructure plan has struck a nerve with cities and towns around the country the plan calls for generating one point five trillion for new projects by requiring cities and towns to put up eighty percent of the funding leaving the federal share to no more than twenty percent of

the projects total cost this is in stark contrast with the historical precedent where the share a federal funding for projects average between thirty and forty percent of the projects total cost the federal government can no longer go the infrastructure big development alone so we need partners at the state and local levels and that's balls looking at all come contracts like strategic alliances partnerships and joint venture and this is what the eighty twenty rule is coming down from secretary of my child is really called for in response to critics the white house and d.o.t. secretary elaine chao have proposed that cities and towns raise taxes finding ways to attract private investors without providing specifics on how that might occur or even. knowledge that tax hikes run counter to the philosophy behind trump's recent tax cuts they're not the only option for financing infrastructure there are many other creative ways and that's what we're encouraging the state and local entities

to examine their private activity ponds their ass or recycling there are bond other types of. of access to public markets private markets that would be in addition to those that you mentioned we're at gnostic as to the methodology and if there's any silver lining behind america's crumbling infrastructure perhaps is that it hasn't entirely collapsed just last year the american society of civil engineers gave the us a d. plus grade in infrastructure report card a d. minus in transit and while it may not exactly be failing a d. proven deadly for america's highways railways and waterways that puts america decades behind countries like japan china and the e.u. in washington fairmont test r t. one quick review of presidential election both

candidates former secretary of state hillary clinton and now president donald trump had a virtual bidding war on which one could offer more money for infrastructure proposal check it out i am asking both parties to come together to give us safe fast reliable and modern infrastructure that our economy needs and our people deserve. as president mr trump pushed for tax cuts instead of infrastructure and that certainly is parag if although the huge allocation of resources two point three trillion dollars over ten years for the tax cuts means that there is little money and less appetite for infrastructure concurrently mr trump's campaign promise on infrastructure spending is but a distant memory with seemingly no basis in reality as to what he actually proposed back in two thousand and sixteen rather than doubling what ms clinton proposed or more the president has proposed less much less after taking more than a year to produce even a proposal earlier and twenty eighteen the administration finally put forth

a fifty five page plan which included only two hundred billion dollars in funding i know what some of you are saying only in washington could this guy say two hundred billion dollars isn't much money i totally agree and two hundred billion is certainly a lot of money it's huge but it isn't what mr trump promised during the campaign nor what experts say is needed for infrastructure repairs for gosh sakes politicians all of them need to keep their word or will end up not believing anything any of them say ever and as disappointing as all that is on the infrastructure and it's really the people who work in that capitol behind me on that distant hill those members of congress and senators they can pass legislation despite or in cooperation with not just this president but any president after all they are supposed to represent americans. over thirty plus years i've seen how government works or not and infrastructure has unfortunately been little more than a few bullet point talking points for politicians for most of that time while the us was once the envy of the world with our interstate system roads and bridges has

been falling apart like a cheap suit for far too long experts grade our infrastructure in the us and a deep plus a d. plus for heaven's sake and it's getting to a place where it's a definite detriment to our economy and particularly precarious from a safety perspective many lives have already been lost due or to our poor substandard and second rate infrastructure while the overall policy in the appropriation the money that is to address the infrastructure deficit are approved or more often not by congress there's another place not too far away from here where the rubber really hits the road it's time for a quick break but stick with us because when we return we look at ports and much more as we go to break here's a quiz question for you in what country was the first freeway or highway bill was it the united states germany italy or england will be back in a flash. so

you will both be end of the show in las vegas just do you know that was what she doesn't get with the people mrs clinton going up and what i mean. we're going to get it was not on. the thank. you lou yellow. some you can see as from the. us you're in the form of the view. almost humorous with the famed one with him i'm

what i'm most most and he will but he also said when the film oh. i will talk to him. well i think it certainly makes sense for for moscow to sink. in his contacts with the united states i just fear that the dominant view in this city is that it isn't nearly impossible until the united states kind of settle these domestic divide of the environment and in these seas you know i hate to see these cars work toxic but that's exactly what it is and then i think it's in a way you know you're damned if you do if you're down the film.

welcome back the answer to our quiz question what country was the first freeway or highway bill was it the united states germany italy or england the answer is italy hitler is widely credited with the german autobahns in u.s. president dwight d. eisenhower spoke about his time as an army general traveled along the white road was actually benito mussolini who escaped the building to the first major eighty mile autostrada opening night june twenty fourth at five years ahead of such durban roads. ports are the watery gateway to global markets and an important component arbor economy but they can't continue if our port infrastructure doesn't meet the demands

of the future r.t. correspondent natasha's week as more ports make up a huge portion of the u.s. economy from new york to new jersey alone while those ports make up roughly twenty percent of the nation's gross domestic product and here the port of los angeles ranks as the number one container port in the country braveness some three million jobs but the question remains of just how long things can operate the way they are now. seaports help connect american farmers manufacturers and consumers to the world marketplace and found every us state lines on roughly fifteen seaports to handle imports and exports to lucre point eight billion dollars goods each day for every one billion in u.s. exports fifteen thousand jobs are created in fact twenty three million jobs are supported by seaports alone four point six trillion dollars are tight economic activity surrounding u.s. seaports and this infrastructure holds twenty six percent of the u.s. economy united i'm calling on congress to produce

a bill that generates at least one point five trillion dollars for the new infrastructure investment that our country so desperately needs during the scene the new president struck me that not clear he was dissatisfied with the country's infrastructure as a whole and recently comparing it to the three hundred country supports which is what drives the economic growth nick vyas us the professor and executive director of the center for global supply chain management agrees with the president we are almost like a third world country special when you start to crawl into asia like trying to and some of the emerging markets where there really emphasizing in terms of space investing in this infrastructure right. and we have actually really taken a backseat vias believes the main issue looming over the country is the vast political polarization happening in congress spending more time arguing mean than thing getting things done i don't think you could be

a global power or global economy and be the superpower without having the infrastructure and for michael smith running for dare i says forty ninth congressional seats says the issue surrounding the country's infrastructure is enough reason to declare a national emergency that would allow us to do things like suspend the davis beacon are now the davis beacon eric was a good idea at the time it was done in one nine hundred thirty three during the depression and the idea was because people were so desperate for jobs not not for them to be taken advantage of with below market wages are you do you think it's possible when the president is saying we can do things ahead of schedule under budget right but the behemoths that has become the national the federal government regulations contributes to a lot of the problems in getting those things done the country's freights is

projected to grow some forty five percent by two thousand and forty five and the u.s. has trade volume is expected to quadruple after twenty thirty by twenty thirty seven the u.s. will export more than fifty two million should be containers through domestic ports and to meet this boom demand price is all of the country's infrastructure needs to be updated we have now come to the point where we simply cannot ignore the fact that we need a massive upgrade doored infrastructure sports her ports mass transit highways and intermodal the rail network and all distance has to be connected well the white house has not laid out a specific plan for the country's infrastructure just yet but it is something that will indeed need congressional approval to move. hard at the port of los angeles and hottest suites artsy. film roads and highways and assisted by the very able alex one highland. as a canadian who has crossed the border

a multitude of times from canada to the us ever since i was a kid i have to say we're the most striking differences when you cross over is that the roads get really bad especially when you go to some parts of michigan or new york state many are saying that now more than ever roads across the country are in dire need of improvement not only are there more cars around than ever before but because of the crumbling infrastructure getting behind the wheel is more dangerous the united states has four million miles of roads ranging from interstate highways that are fifteen lanes wide to residential streets in two thousand and sixteen alone u.s. roads cured more people and goods over three trillion miles that's astonishing and believe it or not equates to more than three hundred fifty round trips back and forth between earth and pluto with so much motion on beat up roads people are getting hurt and many are dying according to the national safety council there were an estimated forty thousand one hundred motor vehicle deaths in two thousand and

seventeen while some blame factors like high speed limits and distracted driving infrastructure also plays a part this is see in particular with the rise in recent years of cyclist and pedestrian deaths showing that there is a clear need for revisiting the way streets are designed to make them safer for all lots of traffic also translates to lots of congestion with american drivers being stuck in traffic for estimated total of six point nine billion hours in two thousand and fourteen this is obviously frustrating for many but it also means a loss of money a lot of money. according to the a c. e. traffic delays cost the us one hundred sixty billion dollars in wasted time and fuel in two thousand and fourteen at the environmental impact of congestion and you can just imagine the true cost is much more the problem lies here. for years u.s. infrastructure including roads have been underfunded currently there's an estimated

eight hundred thirty six billion backlog of highway and bridge capital needs this includes four hundred twenty billion of repairing existing highways under twenty three billion for bridge repair one hundred sixty seven billion for system expansion and one hundred twenty six billions for system in has been such as safety and handsome its operational improvements and environmental projects now if investments are made not only will roads become safer and less congested but according to the federal highway administration if proven to also translate into lower vehicle maintenance costs and higher fuel efficiency as well as reduced emissions now this can be done with more funding from all levels of government some people are saying you know what we need more taxes to pay for this but there's also the theory that we can divert money from other places like for example foreign wars and start investing in american infrastructure and the american people in toronto i'm alex myla bitch r.c. .

internet access is best becoming a subsidy as the world goes digital but as america's broadband up to snuff r.t. correspondent dan cohen takes us online to find out. twenty five megabytes per second or higher that's the speed the federal government says is needed to support modern internet use in the united states or what's known as high speed broadband but more than twenty four million americans lack access to the federally mandated speed according to the center for public integrity more than half of them are in poor and rural areas where the median income is less than forty seven thousand dollars per year that includes twenty nine percent of farms and ranches throughout the country but the federal communication commission is repeal of new. neutrality in december twenty seventh team public broadband has been touted as a solution to ensure fair access to want is

a member of the city council in seattle where she has a lead the push for public broadband it has to be concluded on one hundred percent that access to the internet having even a cellphone having phone access having access to. the multitude of. necessity that. in many ways you know the website is are the first portal to access those services then you will see that you know the internet is is not a luxury but access to the internet is not a luxury but a necessity in countries like finland switzerland and taiwan have already implemented public broadband but it's not necessary to travel overseas to find it here in the u.s. twenty nine states have proposed their own open internet regulation and five democratic governors have issued executive orders that bar the state from doing business with broadband companies that violate net neutrality the city of

chattanooga tennessee created what they call the electric power board a municipal owned utility that provides internet speeds of a gigabyte per second in total more than one hundred thirty communities in twenty seven states have done the same chattanooga's move dealt a blow to comcast the local cable provider who speeds can't compete with the public option internet service providers launched lawsuits against chattanooga's public broadband service and when they lost the company's appeal the court decisions it's not only cities that are turning away from private providers on june twentieth the consolidated cooperative in the town of delaware ohio announced plans to implement fiber optic services in michigan a republican led effort attempted to stop government funds from paying for broadband in the city of fort collins colorado. a group backed by private internet providers spent nine hundred thousand dollars to block public broadband service

that effort failed as voters approved a bill that authorized the city to build a network the telecom industry has spent huge amounts fighting the movement for public broadband just in twenty eighteen they spent more than twenty three million dollars on lobbying efforts today there are twenty states where public broadband is road blocked or outlawed the efforts to block public broadband are likely to increase as larger markets like los angeles and seattle consider abducting it not only do these corporations have millions tens of millions billions of dollars a day or disposal to fight and need to look at it attempts to make access you know available to everybody they also have all editions and our pockets they have political parties in their pockets they have now molded you wouldn't be as you know crawling all around slimy lobbyist clogging crawling all around the city hall state legislatures in the u.s. congress and the white house reporting in washington d.c.

d'amico on our t.v. . that's it for this time but we have lots more on tap for next time as part of our special look at u.s. infrastructure deficit please join us going to catch bust on direct t.v. channel three twenty one dish network channel two eighty we're streaming twenty four seven on pluto t.v. the free t.v. app channel one thirty two or as always get us up at you tube dot com boom bust archie ok next time. my son doing drugs my nephew was still in drugs my sister just with doing drugs it was like an epidemic of drug abuse america's public enemy number one in the united states is drug abuse we started going after the users in the prison population

sewer we started treating sick people people who are addicted to these drugs like criminals while i was on the hill i increasingly became convinced that the war on drugs was a mistake there are countless numbers of people who are in prison for. a long sentence in this for minor minor offenders in the drug trade it's a lot watching your children grow up and miss you in waves and say bye daddy as you're walking out of a business it's just it doesn't get easier. you know world a big part of the law and conspiracy it's time to wake up to dig deeper to hit the stories that mainstream media refuses to tell more than ever we need to be smarter we need to stop slamming the door. and shouting past each other it's time for critical thinking it's time to fight for the middle for the truth the

time is now for watching closely watching the hawks. where does that come to russia no one has ever known one has ever had a country never even had about most. the.

washington expresses concern over russia's new hypersonic weapon saying there are no effective counter measures the. final test was successfully carried out on wednesday. the wave of protests spreading across two after the death of a journalist who set himself on fire protesting the difficulties of being a reform of the country's economic problems. french judges drop a two decade long probe into the deadly attack on the form over one president's plane it's a key.