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Between November 30, 2021 and December 22, 2021, four federal courts enjoined President Biden’s order that would have required federal contractors to have all their employees vaccinated against COVID-19.  One of the injunctions, issued by a Georgia federal court, applies to all 50 states, including Texas.  While further appeals are likely, for the time being, the vaccination requirement is not enforceable. The Seminal Questions The federal courts that have addressed the vaccine mandate have grappled with three very thorny questions: Did President Biden have the authority to issue the ma

On November 15, 2021, President Joe Biden signed into law the infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The Act will provide approximately $1.2 trillion of funding for infrastructure projects across the country with the goal of modernizing the country’s outdated transportation, utilities, and broadband systems. The funding is expected to be disbursed over a five-year period, with the majority after 2022. The Act allocates the following amounts for infrastructure projects, with infrastructure defined loosely to capture more than the typical road and bridge projects. Roads, bridges, major pro

In a decade, 3D printing has already innovated several industries, from medical implants to engineering, to aviation. The technology is achieving the unthinkable in construction such as 3D printing a house in under 24 hours. In Austin, two 3D-printed homes at the East 17th Street Residences development were sold in March and the two others in the development are on the market. The 3D industry is projected to grow to over a $30 billion annually by 2024, with much of that boom projected to be in construction.  While much of the past growth of 3D printing has not been in large commercial const

Texans are scheduled to vote on November 2, 2021 on whether to pass or reject 8 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution. The Texas Constitution was originally drafted in 1876 and has been amended 507 times over the years.  During this past 2021 Legislative session, 218 constitutional amendments were proposed of which 8 obtained the necessary support to be placed on the November 2nd ballot for public voting.  To be placed on the ballot, each proposed amendment was required to secure the approval of two-thirds of both the Texas House and Texas Senate. To become amendments to the Texas Co

Chinese real estate developer Evergrande has been in the financial headlines for several months now, which has spawned many questions about the situation. Who is Evergrande? Is this a “2008 Lehman Moment” for China? Will the Chinese government bail them out? Will this affect American investors? However, the financial and economic press have not tackled a question that may be on the minds of many American developers, contractors, and suppliers: If Evergrande goes under, what will happen to our already stressed global supply chains? For a bit of background: Evergrande has been described as a