The Brookings Institution’s Rebecca Mann and Jenny Schuetz contend that the threat of climate change in the U.S. must be met by improving home weatherization programs and making them more accessible. They cite the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act as allocating new funding to lower energy use in existing homes and diverting them to cleaner sources of power.

Columbus McKinnon Corporation, a leading designer and manufacturer of intelligent motion solutions, products and technologies for material handling, was recently awarded a patent for a slotted hook latch, which is used on the company’s Clevlok and Quick-Connect sling hooks. Protected by Patent No. 11,390,493, the slotted latch design allows for better seating of the latch in the hook to prevent disengagement or damage to the latch — ultimately keeping loads more secure, reducing the risk of damaged equipment and enhancing operator safety.

Werner has released the Multi-Position Pro Ladder. The Multi-Position Pro Ladder is the lightest weight multi-position ladder developed by Werner with a 375lb. load rating per side. 

Annual gains in homeowner spending for improvements and repairs are set to give out by the second half of next year, according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) released by the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.