Taking Stock of the Stimulus
Most of the direct spending in the $787 billion stimulus bill passed in February 2009 was targeted at infrastructure projects that could begin immediately and provide a quick injection of jobs into a reeling economy. But the legislation also provided more than $50 billion in grants to deploy energy and information technologies, and that money will take longer to spend. While the ultimate economic value of the investment is yet to be determined (see “Cash for Infrastructure”), the map above shows that the money is at last beginning to flow. The bar shows how much money was authorized, how much of it has been awarded to specific projects, and how much has been paid out. While just $381 million of the $7.2 billion authorized to bring broadband to rural areas had been spent as of June 30, for example, nearly $2.5 billion has been awarded, and the rest should be spoken for by September. The Department of Energy, which controls $32.7 billion for clean energy, has also picked up the pace, awarding hundreds of grants to projects around the country.
Keep Reading
Most Popular
Geoffrey Hinton tells us why he’s now scared of the tech he helped build
“I have suddenly switched my views on whether these things are going to be more intelligent than us.”
Meet the people who use Notion to plan their whole lives
The workplace tool’s appeal extends far beyond organizing work projects. Many users find it’s just as useful for managing their free time.
Learning to code isn’t enough
Historically, learn-to-code efforts have provided opportunities for the few, but new efforts are aiming to be inclusive.
Deep learning pioneer Geoffrey Hinton has quit Google
Hinton will be speaking at EmTech Digital on Wednesday.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.