Infrastructure
Soaring electricity rates fueled Democratic victories — now comes the hard part
Soaring electricity rates fueled Democratic victories — now comes the hard part Rising electricity rates were a key factor in Democratic victories in New Jersey, Virginia, and Georgia, highlighting concerns over energy policy and infrastructure. The US power grid is struggling to keep up with growing demand from AI data centers, electric vehicles, and domestic […]
🏛️ Politics
What is DNS? A computer engineer explains this foundational piece of the web – and why it’s the internet’s Achilles’ heel
What is DNS? A computer engineer explains this foundational piece of the web – and why it’s the internet’s Achilles’ heel DNS (Domain Name System) is the internet’s “phone book” that translates names into IP addresses, but recent outages have highlighted its vulnerability. A recent AWS outage on Oct. 20, 2025, showed how DNS failures […]
💻 Technology
Future of nation’s energy grid hurt by Trump’s funding cuts
Future of nation’s energy grid hurt by Trump’s funding cuts The Trump administration’s cancellation and freezing of clean energy funding has also hurt essential work to improve the nation’s power grid, leaving Americans vulnerable to more frequent and longer-lasting power outages. The Department of Energy has defended the cancellations, citing that the projects did not […]
📰 News
The Erie Canal: How a ‘big ditch’ transformed America’s economy, culture and even religion
The Erie Canal: How a ‘big ditch’ transformed America’s economy, culture and even religion The Erie Canal, completed on October 26, 1825, was a groundbreaking engineering marvel that transformed America’s economy, culture, and even religion. The canal, which stretched 363 miles from Lake Erie to New York City, revolutionized trade, immigration, and commerce, with shipping […]
📰 News
Flood-prone Houston faces hard choices for handling too much water
Flood-prone Houston faces hard choices for handling too much water Houston faces a hard choice between three competing options to contain flooding: a $30 billion system of eight tunnels proposed by the Harris County Flood Control District, a two-tunnel proposal from Elon Musk’s Boring Company, and a hybrid option combining elements of both. The engineering […]
📰 News
Commuters have bemoaned Philly’s public transit for decades − in 1967, a librarian got the city to listen
Commuters have bemoaned Philly’s public transit for decades − in 1967, a librarian got the city to listen Philadelphia’s public transit system has been plagued by poor conditions and unstable funding for nearly a century, with commuters’ complaints often convincing government officials to act. In 1967, librarian Miriam S. Axelrod wrote a letter to Mayor […]
🏛️ Politics
Detroit’s Gordie Howe bridge is poised to open as truck traffic between US-Canada slows – low-income residents are deciding whether to stay or go
Detroit’s Gordie Howe bridge is poised to open as truck traffic between US-Canada slows – low-income residents are deciding whether to stay or go The Gordie Howe International Bridge, connecting Detroit and Windsor, is expected to open later than initially planned, with its completion now likely to be delayed into 2026. The bridge’s construction has […]
📰 News
The new NextGen Acela trains promise faster travel and more seats – but arrive as US rail faces an uncertain future
The new NextGen Acela trains promise faster travel and more seats – but arrive as US rail faces an uncertain future The new NextGen Acela trains are set to start running on the Northeast Corridor soon, promising faster travel and more seats, but arrive at a time when US rail faces an uncertain future. The […]
📰 News
Here’s a way to save lives, curb traffic jams and make commutes faster and easier − ban left turns at intersections
Here’s a way to save lives, curb traffic jams and make commutes faster and easier − ban left turns at intersections Research shows that left turns at intersections are dangerous and slow traffic, accounting for over 60% of all crashes. Banning left turns at some intersections can save lives, reduce traffic jams, and make commutes […]
📰 News
How vulnerable is critical infrastructure to cyberattack in the US?
How vulnerable is critical infrastructure to cyberattack in the US? Critical infrastructure in the US, including water, health, and energy systems, is increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks. A “hybrid” battle between physical and digital attacks is becoming more common, making critical infrastructure a target for both nation-state and non-state actors. The 2021 Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack […]
📰 News