The rise of Grace: Grace Design Studios received several national honors this month for growth, workplace culture and leadership. The firm ranked No. 3 on Zweig Group’s 2026 Hot Firm List, recognizing the nation’s fastest-growing architecture, engineering and construction firms. It also placed No. 33 on the Best Firms to Work For list, with more than 95% of surveyed employees identifying Grace as a best firm to work for. The awards were presented Oct. 1 at the Zweig Elevate AEC Conference in Park City, Utah. Grace CEO Jerry Hebert also received the Jerry Allen Courage in Leadership Award, recognizing executives who have overcome significant challenges and led organizational change. Separately, Grace ranked No. 18 on Building Design+Construction’s Top 200 Architecture Firms list in its 2026 Giants 400 Report.
Roadster goes airborne: The flying cars we were promised in The Jetsons may finally be getting closer to reality. Just don’t expect to commute above Baton Rouge traffic anytime soon. Nine years after first teasing its next-generation Roadster, Tesla has unveiled an electric sports car that can actually launch itself into the air using compressed-air thrusters. At a Texas demonstration Thursday, the Roadster took flight, cleared five Tesla vehicles and landed safely. Executives also claimed it can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in about one second. But there’s a catch—or several. Production isn’t expected until 2028, Tesla hasn’t revealed a price, and whether its flying capabilities will be street legal remains unclear. The Wall Street Journal has more on Tesla’s futuristic unveiling and what comes next. A subscription may be required.
Reserves to the rescue? Oil prices fell today as traders weighed plans to accelerate emergency oil-stock releases against persistent Middle East supply risks and uncertainty over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. December Brent crude futures fell 0.9% to $105.00 a barrel, while December West Texas Intermediate futures dropped 1.0% to $95.55 a barrel. The International Energy Agency said Thursday that its members agreed to accelerate the release of around 100 million barrels of previously pledged emergency oil stocks, including more than 20 million barrels of diesel to be released as soon as possible. The Wall Street Journal has the full story. A subscription may be required.
.
