Political:

Senators who are pitching the $1 trillion infrastructure plan are having difficulty striking a balance that won’t alienate politicians from both sides of the aisle, CNBC writes.

Philadelphia city council is working on legislation that could protect buildings near construction work by requiring excavators to have a license and taking up new safety measures, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Social:

Up to 60% of highway contractors reported road construction accidents in 2020, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic cutting down the amount of traffic on the road, Construction Dive writes.

The majority of building and contracting companies in Canada have found that their ESG standards are in line with those of Indigenous project developers, with many of them being worked into companies’ ESG plans, as evidenced by the efforts of the First Nations Major Projects Coalition, Journal of Commerce reports.

Environmental:

New York’s legislature passed a bill regarding the use of low-carbon concrete in contracted programs, Smart Cities Dive reports.

Professional Development:

Looking to hire new talent? Offer services and programs targeted towards those caught up in the ‘last-mile’ problem.

Economic:

The U.S. Department of Labor has reported that 35% of contractors have had to turn down projects due to labor shortages, steel and lumber affordability, and other factors, For Construction Pros writes.

Lumber prices have finallyfallen, but it may take a while to see the effects, Bisnow reports.

Technology:

ArchDaily has the backstory on automation in construction, its future, and how it affects how contractors do their work today.

Contech firm Dusty Robotics raised $16.5 million in their Series A funding round, TechCrunch writes.

Legal:

Turner Construction executive Ronald Olson was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for accepting bribes from subcontractors in exchange for contracts, Engineering News-Record reports.

The Government Accountability Office found no issue in the Biden administration pausing spending on the border wall along the southwest border of the U.S., The New York Times writes.