Heidelberg has launched a new range of high-thermal-conductivity, low-resistivity backfill and bedding materials specifically engineered for high and ultra-high voltage underground power cables. The products are formulated to improve heat dissipation from cable systems, reducing localised temperature rise and associated ampacity constraints compared with conventional granular or cementitious surrounds. For civil and geotechnical designers, this allows tighter cable spacing, potentially shallower trench sections, and more reliable performance in dense urban corridors where thermal bottlenecks often limit circuit capacity.

President Donald Trump will appear on a new US one‑dollar “gold coin” for the country’s 250th anniversary, although the piece will be struck in base metals with only a gold‑coloured finish and no precious‑metal content. Production is scheduled at the Philadelphia Mint ahead of a planned autumn 2026 release, with the design showing Trump’s portrait, “In God We Trust”, and the dates 1776‑2026. The move contrasts sharply with bullion issues like the American Gold Eagle and Buffalo and has triggered legal debate over bans on depicting living presidents.

The U.S. National Science Foundation has awarded up to $160 million to the University of Missouri-Kansas City-led NSF Critical Materials Crossroads Engine to build a domestic ecosystem for critical metals and advanced materials used in batteries, aircraft engine components and semiconductors. The Missouri-Kansas corridor initiative, launched in 2022, brings together more than 260 partners to scale production from concentrated ore and spent materials recovered both domestically and internationally, targeting reduced reliance on foreign-controlled supply chains. Economic modelling projects about 10,000 jobs and up to $40 billion in output by 2036, with a $17 billion boost to regional GDP.