News at a Glance

Federal regulators approved a plan on April 9 to create a nationwide emergency alert system using text messages. The plan is a result of the Warning Alert and Response Network Act, a 2006 federal law that requires the Federal Communications Commission to develop ways to alert the public about emergencies.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology submitted to Congress in March the annual report of activities under the National Construction Safety Team Act, authorizing the agency to conduct technical investigations of major building failures. The full report is available at www.nist.gov.