construction

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US Can't Build Things Anymore
 US Can't Build Things Anymore 
Jonah Goldberg
Oct 19, 2010 12:25 PM CDT

US Can't Build Things Anymore

Don't blame conservatives for bureaucratic nightmare, writes Jonah Goldberg

(Newser) - It took just 410 days to build the Empire State Building, and a mere two years to build the Pentagon. “These days it takes longer to build an overpass,” observes Jonah Goldberg of the LA Times . “This country can’t build stuff the way it used to....

No Relief for Homeowners With Rotting Chinese Drywall
No Relief for Homeowners With Rotting Chinese Drywall
HOME, STINKY HOME
Sep 18, 2010 8:09 AM CDT

No Relief for Homeowners With Rotting Chinese Drywall

Many seek alternate shelter; others have to tough it out

(Newser) - Their homes stink like rotten eggs, appliances constantly malfunction, and anything metal turns black and corrodes, but the headaches (and other illnesses) don't end there for homeowners with Chinese drywall, reports the New York Times. Though thousands of lawsuits have been filed, insurance companies aren't paying, homebuilders largely aren't stepping...

Chinese Drywall Trouble Went Unreported
Chinese Drywall Trouble Went Unreported
investigation
Jun 1, 2010 4:54 PM CDT

Chinese Drywall Trouble Went Unreported

Home builder, manufacturer knew of problems for 2 years

(Newser) - An East Coast homebuilder knew about problems associated with tainted drywall from China two years before the issue erupted on a national level, reports ProPublica . Instead of alerting authorities, the parties involved—including the construction company, the Chinese manufacturer, and the US distributor—dealt with the problems like foul odors...

17 Most Corrupt Industries
 17 Most 
 Corrupt 
 Industries 
no. 1? not wall street
May 2, 2010 5:17 AM CDT

17 Most Corrupt Industries

Want to retain your honor? Don't get into these professions

(Newser) - Goldman Sachs got you convinced Wall Street is the most corrupt place to work? Not quite: The Daily Beast worked with an anti-corruption research organization to determine the 17 most corrupt industries in America. The top five, along with representative examples:
  1. Utilities: FirstEnergy allegedly covered up a reactor head that
...

Spider Silk Discovery Opens Way to Super Matter

Method may "make it possible to build bricks from straw'

(Newser) - Spider silk is yielding secrets that could pave the way for incredibly strong building materials, researchers say. MIT scientists found that the silk uses a unique crystal structure that makes it both strong and able to bend without breaking. They believe it is possible to copy that structure to turn...

Q&amp;A About Haiti Quake
 Q&A About Haiti Quake 
Jan 14, 2010 6:51 PM CST

Q&A About Haiti Quake

Questions answered, like why wasn't the Dominican Republic hit?

(Newser) - Confused about why the Haitian earthquake didn't also hit the Dominican Republic or cause a tsunami? Slate provides answers:
  • Why so much destruction? Haiti has no national building codes, and though some follow best practices, inspection is almost nonexistent.
  • Why wasn't the DR affected? It was, but most of the
...

California OKs Nation's Greenest Building Code

New rules on plumbing, waste go into effect next year

(Newser) - A California commission has approved rules designed to make the state's new buildings some of the greenest in the country. The building code, known as Calgreen, requires among other things that builders use high-tech plumbing, recycle half their overall waste, and use low-pollutant paints and floorings. The rules go into...

1 in 5 US Men Unemployed
 1 in 5 US Men Unemployed 
Jan 8, 2010 12:17 PM CST

1 in 5 US Men Unemployed

Recession has been especially hard on traditionally male jobs

(Newser) - Male unemployment has hit an all-time high, with a whopping 1 of every 5 working-age American men jobless, according to the latest government figures. The economic downturn has been especially brutal on traditionally male-dominated fields like construction and manufacturing, the Huffington Post explains, leading some to label it a “...

Brutal Commute Awaits SF as Bridge Remains Closed

(Newser) - An unexpected hiccup means the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge will remain closed through tomorrow—and a potential nightmare commute for the 260,000 who use the span daily, the Contra Costa Times reports. The bridge was closed Thursday night so workers could replace a 300-foot section, but during the project...

New Orleans Repair an Experiment in Green
 New Orleans Repair 
 an Experiment in Green 
glossies
Aug 29, 2009 7:12 PM CDT

New Orleans Repair an Experiment in Green

(Newser) - Four years after Katrina, the rebuilding of New Orleans is becoming an exercise in environmentally friendly reconstruction, Bryan Walsh writes in Time. Global Green USA, the American arm of a group founded by Mikhail Gorbachev, is leading the pack by building a sustainable village in the city's Lower Ninth Ward,...

Battle Heats Up Over Green Building Codes

Better construction seen as best chance of saving energy

(Newser) - Authorities are trying to hammer together tighter nationwide building codes to save energy and combat climate change, the New York Times reports. Experts say requiring buildings to be more efficient will do more to save energy than any other single policy move, but codes remain weak to nonexistent across half...

Dow Ends Solid Week Up 32
 Dow Ends Solid Week Up 32 
MARKETS
Jul 17, 2009 3:17 PM CDT

Dow Ends Solid Week Up 32

Indices all up at least 7% for the week

(Newser) - Stocks were generally flat today as investors stepped back from a 4-day rally. IBM boosted the Dow, rising 4.3% after reporting strong quarterly profits, the Wall Street Journal reports. GE and Bank of America both trended lower after reporting declining earnings. Housing data showed home construction rose in June,...

At Last, Endeavour Reaches ISS
 At Last, Endeavour Reaches ISS 
Jul 17, 2009 1:58 PM CDT

At Last, Endeavour Reaches ISS

Shuttle arrives nearly a month late for construction mission

(Newser) - Space shuttle Endeavour docked today at the International Space Station, an important milestone in its oft-delayed mission, Space.com reports. The crew is scheduled to board the ISS later today. When the Endeavour's seven astronauts climb on, they will push the station's total population to a record-high 13.

S. African World Cup Laborers End Strike

Workers building new stadiums negotiate 12% pay raise

(Newser) - South African construction workers tasked with building facilities for the 2010 World Cup today called off their week-long strike after 15 hours, clearing a major obstacle in the country’s preparations to host to the world’s most watched sports competition, AFP reports. Construction firms agreed to give the roughly...

Calif. Program Trains 'Green Collar' Workers

Pioneering initiative's grads tackle both pollution and poverty

(Newser) - The first waves of graduates from California's pioneering "green collar" training program are ready to put their new skills to work reducing the state's carbon footprint, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The trainees, including ex-cons and low-income residents, have finished an extensive course in construction skills to equip them...

9/11 Memorial Exec Quits Amid Criminal Probe

Contractor under investigation for overbilling at NYC projects

(Newser) - The construction executive in charge of the 9/11Memorial and other major New York City projects abruptly resigned yesterday amid a federal criminal probe into padded bills, the New York Daily News reports. James Abadie's employer, Bovis Lend Lease, is being investigated over allegations it inflated overtime bills on projects, including...

Dow Worries Its Way Down 130
 Dow Worries Its Way Down 130 
MARKETS
May 21, 2009 3:13 PM CDT

Dow Worries Its Way Down 130

(Newser) - Markets were off today on news that credit raters might downgrade England and other countries, the Wall Street Journal reports. Though oil remained stable, the stocks of construction-related firms like Home Depot, Caterpillar, and Alcoa plunged; the price of gold surged. The Dow was off 129.91 to 8,292....

Housing Data Put Dow Off 29
 Housing Data Put Dow Off 29 
MARKETS
May 19, 2009 3:12 PM CDT

Housing Data Put Dow Off 29

(Newser) - Yesterday’s housing-fueled rally didn’t carry over into today’s session, the Wall Street Journal reports, in part because of poor indicators from that same industry. April saw a 12.8% reduction in buildings starting construction; Home Depot dropped 5%. Still, a metric of investor anxiety today fell to...

Dow Rallies on Housing; Up 214
 Dow Rallies on Housing; Up 214 
MARKETS
May 4, 2009 3:17 PM CDT

Dow Rallies on Housing; Up 214

Financials and materials firms gain on construction spending, existing home sales

(Newser) - Stocks rallied today on positive economic news, with the S&P 500 surpassing the psychologically significant 900 mark, the Wall Street Journal reports. Surges in construction spending and existing-home sales fueled investor optimism, with financials and materials firms pacing advances. The Dow rose 214.33 to close at 8,426....

US Benefits From China Stimulus

Construction in China boosts US business, from steel to fried chicken

(Newser) - While Americans await the fruits of their $787 billion bailout, China is moving ahead with public-works projects at a staggering pace, pumping up its own economy as well as America’s, the Wall Street Journal reports. US industrial-equipment makers, struggling with effectively zero domestic growth, are back near record levels...

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