Editors’ Blog
The crazy task of reporting quarterly numbers
My wife works at a newspaper, and she was telling me that a young business reporter had written a long story about a local bank's second-quarter earnings -- taking all of the information directly from the bank's earnings report. The… Keep Reading
Our too-quick-to-react society
The Penn State scandal was once again a topic of discussion this week, with the Joe Paterno statue removed from outside the football stadium and the NCAA imposing a $60 million fine on the university, among other measures, for its… Keep Reading
Kicking the can
After three years of short-term extensions, we finally have a highway bill, and that's a good thing. But I feel bad for the people at organizations like the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association and others who worked long and… Keep Reading
Two-year transportation bill a win, albeit a short one
Lost in the shadow of the Supreme Court’s decision last week to uphold President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul law was the surprising, bipartisan passage of a transportation bill that will fuel more than $100 billion into America’s roads through… Keep Reading
Transportation reauthorization going down to wire
It’s well documented that the 112th Congress last year was the least productive Congress in modern U.S. history, passing 80 bills as both Democrats and Republicans rarely compromised. Neither party seems to be budging much anytime soon, but as the… Keep Reading
Will natural gas boost your bottom line?
Gasoline and diesel prices will probably never be as low as they once were. But another fuel, natural gas, is positioning itself to play a role in your operation and boost your bottom line in the coming years. More natural… Keep Reading
Lafarge Midwest celebrates land protection at Cave-in-Rock plant
The Illinois Association of Aggregate Producers reports that Lafarge Midwest, Inc. celebrated its protection of some of Illinois’ highest-quality limestone natural communities with students from Hardin County High School. “These areas owned by Lafarge Midwest represent living museums of our… Keep Reading
Will Martin Marietta ever succeed in taking over Vulcan?
It’s the question that’s had the aggregates industry, as well as the financial analysts and law specialists following Martin Marietta Materials Inc. and Vulcan Materials Co., on hold since the two companies entered friendly merger talks back in 2010. Following… Keep Reading
No more multi-year highway bills?
In his Innovation NewsBriefs e-newsletter, public policy consultant Ken Orski suggests the days of multi-year transportation bills may be over. "Long term authorizations have been a longstanding feature of the federal-aid transportation program," Orski says. "They have been justified by the need… Keep Reading
