Washington State’s EV’s Get a Boost & Ford to Keep AM Radio

**The state of Washington’s efforts to reduce air pollution by electrifying transportation got a boost last week.

A waiver granted by the EPA allows the state, and others that follow California’s advanced clean truck standards, to start transitioning medium and heavy-duty trucks from diesel power to zero-emissions technology.

The program requires truck manufacturers to sell and register an increasing percentage of new, zero-emission alternatives to diesel, starting in 2025.

**Every year, as many as 15,000 people with U.S. citizenship or legal status cross the border at the Mexicali-Calexico port of entry.

They join the local farm workforce in the sprawling Imperial Valley region, which produces as much as 90% of America’s winter vegetables.

Ag Alert reports the Colorado River crisis may threaten agricultural employment in the region, where the $2.9 billion ag sector accounts for one-fourth of the regional economy and one of every six jobs.

**A new report says Ford will keep AM radios in certain vehicles.

The company plans to exclude AM radio from “most new vehicles” but says commercial vehicles will continue to have AM radios.

The report also says Ford could ditch the feature in some or all of those vehicles.

A total of eight automakers say they will remove AM radio from some of their models, mostly in the fast-growing electric vehicle segment.