Following the death of former Sen. Arlen Spector on Oct. 14 after a nearly seven-year battle with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, the National Head Start Association called him a "good friend" to early education for the nation's impoverished toddlers and preschoolers. He was 82.

While the Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impact on the Nation (TRAIN) Act recently passed the House but likely won't become law, upcoming funding authorizations for the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) are in danger under House rules approved earlier this year to offset new authorizations by reducing other programs that are currently authorized and funded.

It's been a busy spring for the U.S. Department of Transportation when it comes to motorcoach safety, and it's figuring to be a long summer ahead.