15 May Ports Off to a Strong 2019 Start, but Concern Looms Over Trump Tariffs Many of the nation’s ports have reported record monthly and quarterly container volumes so far in 2019, but port executives are expressing concern that steeper tariffs on Chinese goods imposed by President Donald Trump could hurt the economy — and their facilities. Read more...
15 May Startup Valqari Aims to Prepare Mailboxes for Drone Delivery You can build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door, Ralph Waldo Emerson noted in the late 19th century. More than 100 years later, Ryan Walsh is building a better mailbox so the world’s goods can be delivered to your door. Read more...
15 May In Shift to Electric Buses, China Is Ahead of US Plodding down DeKalb Avenue in Brooklyn is a bus moving under the power of an eerily quiet motor. It looks newer than most buses on the route, with a vivid digital display facing the driver and doors that part with a futuristic pneumatic swoosh. Commuters trundling aboard at rush hour don’t seem to realize this is one of the few electric buses—300 last year, to be exact—in America. Read more...
15 May US Futures Extend Slide on Growth, Trade Angst U.S. stock futures slumped and Treasuries surged, signaling the May 14 relief rally will be short-lived, as fresh concern about the health of the global economy rattled investors still on edge over the trade war. Read more...
15 May US Industrial Production Down 0.5% in April WASHINGTON — U.S. industrial production fell in April, dragged by a big drop in factory output as production of autos and auto parts continued to slide. Read more...
15 May Britain Is Falling Behind in Employing Robots The U.K. is falling behind in employing robots as firms make do with older machines or hire human workers. Read more...
14 May ‘Pivotal Moment’ for Infrastructure, Says an Optimistic Nancy Pelosi WASHINGTON — U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told road construction industry executives she is optimistic about the prospects of advancing a comprehensive infrastructure package during the 116th Congress. Read more...
14 May Experts Discuss Prospect of P3s in Raising Funds for Infrastructure WASHINGTON — The timing could not have been better for an elite group of the public-private partnership industry and government officials to get together for a topical discussion about infrastructure funding and the ways to increase the use of private money to repair and expand the nation’s crumbling roads and bridges. Read more...
14 May FMCSA Seeks Comment on Pilot Program for Young Drivers The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is seeking public comment on a potential pilot program that would allow drivers between the ages of 18 and 20 to operate trucks interstate. Read more...
14 May Rep. Earl Blumenauer Stresses Urgency of Infrastructure Deal WASHINGTON — A federal infrastructure funding package is within reach, but lawmakers need to act soon, according to Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.). Read more...