Money and Computing
Trump's Infrastructure Plan Dwarfed by Estimates of Need: Civil Engineers Group Ranked the Country at a D-Plus on Infrastructure
If President-elect Donald Trump is successful with his proposed $1 trillion, 10-year program to fix America's disintegrating and inadequate infrastructure, the states have a list of critical projects handy for him. The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that fixing all the roads, bridges, public transit, railroads, energy systems, schools, public parks, ports, airports, waste systems, levees, dams, drinking water facilities and hazardous waste installations in the 50 states and the District of Columbia would take $3.6 trillion by 2020. more »
Some Panic, Other Shrug at Prospect of Losing Obamacare: 80% Are Somewhat or Very Satisfied with Coverage According to Commonwealth Fund Survey
The 20 million Americans who have gained health coverage under the Affordable Care Act don't yet know exactly how the presidency of Donald Trump will change their lives. Right now, one older couple who just retired pays $57 per month for their insurance plan; without the subsidy they receive through the health law, the cost will shoot up to $2,000 a month. "They called me in tears afraid. They would not be hired back at their old jobs and are in poor health." more »
States Aggressively Court Foreign Companies: International Firms Invested $353 Billion in the US economy in 2015
Many states and regions are looking for foreign investors as a way to boost economic growth. At the same time, there is increasing interest among overseas firms in investing in the relatively stable US economy, said Brad McDearman, a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who has extensively studied states and cities that have attracted investment by foreign companies. more »
Finding a Dog at a Shelter: Berkeley Study Confirms That Identifying a Dog's Breed is Harder Than It Appears
The idea is to begin training potential adopters to think in terms of behavior and expectations of their pets, rather than a specific look. For example, an adopter might come in hoping to find a so-called Poodle or Doberman — and leave the building with an American Sofa Dog or a Sierra Stair Stepper. Whimsical, yes, but these new names will be rooted in observation, designed to conjure a distinct personality trait or two. more »
