Recent Articles
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Maximizing learning time while riding the big yellow bus
Brian Stack EducationMy seventh-grade son Brady informed me the other day that with the change to bus routes this year, he is now on the bus for nearly 45 minutes each way to school. At first, I was surprised. We live in a small town of about 10 square miles, and it would take less than 10 minutes to drive from our house to the school. Yet, he was right. He is one of the first students picked up in the morning, and one of the last to be dropped off in the afternoon. Each day, Brady, like millions of other children from coast to coast, deals with one of the great inefficiencies of our education system — bus transportation routes.
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HIV/AIDS program cuts to pay for immigrant child detentions
Michelle R. Matisons Civil & GovernmentAmidst the news about the controversial practice of locking up immigrant children whose parents are not U.S. citizens is the looming question of who will pay for these detentions. Corrections facilities already face overcrowding and harsh conditions, and now we are seeing how the Trump administration plans to pay for all this: shifting funds from programs essential to some Americans’ lives, including HIV/AIDS programs. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provides myriad social service programs and also pays for the more than 13,000 children held in U.S. immigration detention facilities.
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8 great military museums
Cindy Belt Recreation & LeisureSome of the most impressive museums can be military museums. Most museums of this type have large equipment like tanks or planes to view, or even to crawl inside. Note that many are located on military bases, which require a photo ID to enter. At many of them, such as the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas, the exhibits are top-notch. Here are eight of my favorites.
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My life with learning disabilities
Amy Temple EducationHi, everyone. Now before I begin, I am going to give you all a head's up and let you know this is not going to be the typical article that you are probably used to reading here, but bear with me... I have quite the story to tell. My name is Amy Temple and I have learning disabilities. I was diagnosed when I was 5 years old, but before that, a few members of the medical community sure did try to figure out what was wrong with me. I mean...there had to be something!
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Travel2020: Voluntourism — Travel as the new philanthropy
Lark Gould Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementDuring their travels in the past few years, 81 percent of millennials volunteered in the destinations they visited, 78 percent donated cash, and 83 percent gave in-kind to help with local development, according to those polled in a study from Tourism Cares. In fact, a benchmark study on happiness released by the Stanford Business School in 2010 indicated that having a higher purpose always boosts the happiness quotient.
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What you need to know about Instagram’s newest shopping options
Emma Fitzpatrick MarketingInstagram is the ultimate inspiration board. People use it to collect places they want to go, people they wish they could meet and products they hope to buy. In fact, Instagram is the social network that people say influences their purchases the most, according to a 2017 Dana Rebecca Designs survey. The latest research, which was just released by Facebook, details exactly what people are buying and what their shopping journey looks like. Conveniently, this research debuted a day after Instagram rolled out new shopping features. Read on to learn how your business can take hold of this trend.
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Plastics, bioplastics augment and replace metal parts in farming machinery
Bill Becken EngineeringQuietly and without much fanfare, plastics and bioplastics are finding their way into the production of agricultural equipment, such as tractors, combines, plows and balers. Over the past decade, major manufacturers such as John Deere and International Harvester have transitioned both cosmetic and functional components from sheet metal to plastics and bioplastics, with very good results. Manufacturers have discovered a nifty truth, especially regarding bioplastics: They more than cut the mustard.
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Vending machines poised to take retail to a new dimension
Katherine Radin RetailAs long-standing merchants such as Sears and Toys R Us shutter, retailers continue to feel the pressure to perform "in person." When we discussed this topic more than a year ago, commercial landlords were turning to restaurants and food markets to help fill the void. Now, it seems that a more technological approach could be seen in the future — with the use of vending machines. A beloved vendor of chips, chocolate bars, and carbonated beverages, the humble vending machine has dished out a more diverse lineup of products for sale over the years, from makeup, to books, to electronics.
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Study shows prevalence of e-cigarette cannabis use among US youth
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Medical & Allied HealthcareThe results of a study that estimated the prevalence nationally of marijuana use with electronic cigarettes among middle and high school students in the United States were recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics. Close to 9 percent of the more than 20,000 youths between the ages of 9 and 19 in the study reported having used marijuana in vaped form in 2016. This is approximately 1 in every 11 youths.
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Negotiating commercial leases: Renewal rent reductions
Dale Willerton and Jeff Grandfield RetailFor many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or landlord can be a challenge. While an entrepreneur focuses on marketing and managing, savvy real estate agents and brokers are specialized salespeople. Their job is to sell tenants on leasing their location at the highest possible rental rate. Whether you are leasing a new location for the first time or negotiating a lease renewal for your business, here are two money-saving tips.