690,114 cars, $3 billion, and 30 days later, President Obama’s vaunted Cash for Clunkers program has come to an end, meaning that those who did not take advantage of the deal are out of luck. Analysts have praised the program for helping to save jobs and for generating hundreds of thousands of auto sales, but critics of the program wonder if Cash for Clunkers helped foreign automakers too disproportionately.
 
According to one analyst’s estimates, the Cash for Clunkers program ended up incentivizing the auto industry enough to save 39,000 jobs, allowing more dealers to keep workers around thanks to increased sales. …read more

In news that may have architects across the country groaning, the American Institute of Architects has decided that all of its members take four hours of sustainable design courses each year as part of the green movement. The policy, which will last until 2012, is aimed to reorient architects at a time when environmentally friendly buildings are quickly becoming the standard.
According to the AIA, the policy exists to make sure that its architects remain in the loop as the requirements of the profession change to fit the needs of a changing world. The AIA maintains that architects who can confidently …read more