Author: Lucas

NAE Perspectives offer practitioners, scholars, and policy leaders a platform to comment on developments and issues relating to engineering. Chris Hendrickson (NAE) is director of the Traffic21 Institute at Carnegie Mellon University and chair of the National Academies’ Transportation Research Board Division Committee.While transportation is costly in many ways and tiresome for many, it is critical for economic and social wellbeing. Goods and people need to reach their desired destinations in a timely manner.Large amounts of money, energy, land, labor, time, and natural resources are devoted to travel. And it is associated with crashes, sprawl, and harmful air emissions. But travel can…

Premium Bonds are a savings product, but instead of getting a set rate of interest back on your money, you are entered into a monthly prize drawMartin Lewis is founder of MoneySavingExpert.com(Image: ITV)Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) team has explained if Premium Bonds are still “worth it” after NS&I announced another cut to its prize fund rate.Premium Bonds are a savings product, but instead of getting a set rate of interest back on your money, you are entered into a monthly prize draw.The smallest monthly prize is £25, and the biggest is £1million. However, winning a prize every month isn’t guaranteed…

Ensuring internet connectivity is a top priority for owners and developers, both in new builds and retrofits. But it’s not always easy to guarantee, particularly in London, said Matt Chippendale, head of commercial real estate at Vorboss, a fibre network owner and managed service provider.  The capital is one of the oldest and most difficult cities to build in from an infrastructure perspective, he said. However, those who work with partners to proactively establish connectivity early on are seeing the benefits.  “Internet connectivity used to be an afterthought for landlords and developers — something for tenants to organise when they…

Hindalco Industries Ltd/a>, on Thursday (February 26), said the ongoing review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) in connection with the proposed acquisition of AluChem Companies, Inc. has been impacted due to a partial shutdown of the US federal government.The company said that following its earlier intimations regarding the filing of a short-form and subsequently a long-form declaration with CFIUS, the statutory timelines under the CFIUS review framework have been tolled. As a result, the ongoing CFIUS review process and the related transaction are temporarily halted.Hindalco stated that no definitive timeline is currently available for…

Investors will find clear reasons to appreciate this business.There’s a disruptive and tech-enhanced internet business that reported $2.8 billion in revenue in fourth-quarter 2025 (ended Dec. 31, 2025). This financial figure was up 155% from the same period six years ago in 2019. Clearly, the company is finding notable success. Investors should be interested. That’s because this growth stock trades 43% below its record high from February 2021 (as of Feb. 23). Is it a once-in-a-decade buying opportunity right now? Image source: Airbnb. Look at the fundamentals When it comes to creating an entirely new category, there aren’t many companies…

moved higher again, but not above its very recent high, silver outperformed, and so did miners. Why? Most likely because of the quick rally in stocks. In the Feb. 16 analysis, I discussed correlations between stocks and various parts of the precious metals market in greater detail, but as a quick reminder (quoting): “I checked the short-term correlation numbers between various parts of the precious metals market and stocks and they are all positive, but the extent is different. I focused on the short-term (5-day) correlations, as likely be a short-term trigger and that’s what I wanted to detect –…

The Financial Conduct Authority has signalled tougher scrutiny of insurance claims handling while promising further simplification of industry rules. The FCA set out its 2026 regulatory priorities for the insurance sector in a report published today (24 February). The regulator said improving consumer understanding, claims handling and service quality will remain its central focus this year. The FCA confirmed it will continue supervisory and enforcement investigations into home and travel claims handling, expand its review of firms’ oversight of outsourced claims processes, and assess whether value measures rules are delivering good outcomes. Firms have been told to respond to claims…

In 2025, one uncomfortable fact stared investors in the face: gold price and silver price outperformed many major equity indices. For Indian investors who had gone “all in” on equities, it was a reminder that risk comes in many forms.As 2026 unfolds, the right question is not “gold or stocks?” but “how do gold, silver and the US Stock Market work together in a resilient portfolio?”Here are 10 lessons from the last year.1. Gold and silver still respond to real‑world fearWhenever inflation, geopolitical risk or policy uncertainty spike, gold price and silver price tend to catch a bid. 2025 was…

BES Utilities and Fleetwood Town Football Club owner Andy Pilley has failed in an appeal to overturn his conviction for fraud in 2023. Pilley claimed he had undiagnosed ADHD at the time of his trial, causing him to make a poor impression on both judge and jury. However the appeal court judges Lord Justice Edis, sitting with Mrs Justice O’Farrell and Judge Andrew Menary KC, dismissed the challenge, stating: “There is no arguable basis upon which this appeal could depend.” Pilley’s legal team claimed his conviction at Preston C… You can carry on reading TheBusinessDesk.com for free,…

Trading in a monthly rental payment for a mortgage payment might be an exciting milestone for first-time homebuyers. But the cost of owning property of course doesn’t stop there.Property taxes are one of the most common fees associated with owning a home; the size of your tax bill depends on where you live, and your property’s value. Some states also charge property tax on other items, too.ADNerdWallet Wealth Partners can create a personalized plan that evolves with you, from this tax season to the next chapter. Start by answering a few questions. BOOK A FINANCIAL ASSESSMENTon NerdWallet Wealth Partners’ site.…