-
Travelers, businesses await US decision on expanded laptop ban
Bambi Majumdar Transportation Technology & AutomotiveEarlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that all U.S. airlines should prepare for an expanded electronics ban, aimed at carry-on electronic devices that are larger than cellphones. Originally announced for U.S.-bound flights from eight Middle Eastern and North African countries, an expansion of the ban could mean other regions as well, including flights from Europe.
-
The Disneyfication of American cities
Lucy Wallwork Civil & GovernmentDisneyland is every child's dream and an escape from the messy reality of daily life. But if you look closely, you will notice that American cities (and increasingly other cities around the world) are being remade in the image of Walt Disney's famous fantasy theme parks. Places like the Mall of America, where every move is engineered, draw on the Disney rule book and have co-opted public spaces.
-
White-collar exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act
D. Albert Brannen Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementExecutives, administrative employees, professionals and outside salespeople are generally referred to in the wage and hour world as white-collar employees. Employees in these categories, who meet certain criteria, can be treated as being exempt from the minimum-wage, overtime and timekeeping provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
-
New visa policies in US, Europe may hurt summer travel
Suzanne Mason Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementWith the unofficial start of summer travel about a month away, attention continues to shine upon the travel industry as both the U.S. and European Union focus legislation aimed at their respective travel visa policies. At a recent appearance at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly said the rules for allowing Europeans to travel to the U.S. without a visa should be examined because of the threat of terrorism.
-
Participatory planning: ‘Co-producing’ the neighborhood
Lucy Wallwork Civil & GovernmentOnce upon a time in the 1960s, the "master plan" was king in urban planning circles. The modernist approach to designing cities at the time saw the urban designer as supreme — utopian plans were designed in an architect's office and imposed upon unsuspecting residents.
-
FCC planning to roll back net neutrality rules
Ross Lancaster Science & TechnologyA little more than two years ago, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) unveiled and adopted its Open Internet Order, which guaranteed net neutrality for internet users, but also controversially regulated the internet as an effective utility under Title II of the Telecommunications Act.
-
Governments worldwide allocate funds to fight cybercrime
Bambi Majumdar Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityCybercrime is on the rise. While we are not surprised by the fact, the rate at which it is increasing, the sophisticated technologies used by the perpetrators and the inadvertent complicity from telecom sectors have raised additional concerns.
-
The curious case of college education
Bambi Majumdar EducationMost of us don't trust politicians, but not everything they do is fruitless. Every once in a while, there is news that not only captures attention, but also brings hope. Two of America's most prominent cities are trying to do the right thing when it comes to higher education. Chicago wants proof of post-graduation plans for students to get a high school diploma, while New York wants to offer a full tuition waiver for families falling in the middle to lower income brackets.
-
ACA uncertainty fuels slowdown in healthcare hiring
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationAfter the astronomical rise in U.S. job growth in February, the same can't be said for the following month, March. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 235,000 jobs in February, and the unemployment rate dropped to 4.7 percent in the first full month of President Donald Trump's term, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported at the time. By the same measurement, the U.S. economy only added 98,000 jobs in March, deeply disappointing analysts who predicted as many 180,000 new hirings.
-
‘Rebel cities’ are fighting back across the US
Lucy Wallwork Civil & GovernmentIn last year's U.S. presidential election, the countryside revolted and made their voices heard with the election of Donald Trump. But the cities are starting to fight back. The experience of "rebel cities" across Europe — and their demands for the "right to the city" — is inspiring a similar spirit of defiance in cities across the U.S.
All Civil & Government Articles