All Civil & Government Articles
  • Why law enforcement needs to be wary of using legal CBD products

    Bambi Majumdar Law Enforcement, Defense & Security

    The rise of CBD products has been a huge trend in 2019. People are using CBD to alleviate pain, sleeplessness and relaxation, among other ailments. However, it seems not everyone is free to use them. Federal employees, state employees, law enforcement officers, and those with security clearances have all been warned against CBD use. Even though CBD has been made legal, CBD products could have THC in them. If officers test positive, their jobs could be at risk.

  • CMS: ACOs are producing savings, physician-based models faring best

    Scott E. Rupp Healthcare Administration

    Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are paying off big time, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said, with the programs generating more than $739 million in net savings in 2018. ACOs are designed to lower growth in expenditures and improve care quality. For its part, an ACO agrees to be held accountable for the quality, cost, and experience of care of an assigned Medicare beneficiary population. According to Health Affairs, ACOs that successfully meet quality and savings requirements share a percentage of the achieved savings with Medicare.

  • I think my child has a reading disability. What should I do?

    Howard Margolis Education

    It’s 6 a.m. on the first day of school. It’s time for Julio to wash up, dress, make sure he packed all his school supplies, and have breakfast. He grumbles and says, "I’m not hungry. I don’t want to go to school. I won’t open a book." As his eyes well up with tears, he murmurs, "I can’t read. The other kids know. They’ll call me stupid." You ask yourself, "Does he have dyslexia? Some other reading disability?" Then you shutter. You fear the future. You’re certain Julio has a reading disability.

  • Mark your calendar

    Debra Josephson Abrams Education

    What day is it? Your answer could be anything from Monday through Sunday. But if you ask me, I could easily say, "It’s National Women’s Equality Day! It’s National Dog Day! It’s National Cherry Popsicle Day!" (August 26, as I write this. Of course, there is a National Cat Day, October 29.) Whatever day it is, it’s a good day to explore an adaptable activity that engages as much integrated content as you choose, including language skills, history, government, and civics, cultures, and physics and math as well as critical and creative thinking and analysis, multiple intelligences, and learning styles.

  • Federal court ruling could produce fresh air in more ways than one

    Michelle R. Matisons Waste Management & Environmental

    From fossil fuel extraction to wilderness and pollution protections, legal environmental battles continue to be a most memorable Trump-era hallmark. While it’s a mixed bag of tricks overall, a recent federal ruling upholding EPA standards provides a breath of fresh air in ongoing environmental struggles that require staying power in the epic battle against climate catastrophe. Recently, pollution reduction requirements for states producing smog that "travels" across state lines were upheld among a three-judge panel in a federal appeals court.

  • 3 ways to stop good employees from leaving

    Simma Lieberman Business Management, Services & Risk Management

    I was recently hired to coach a COO who was having a hard time retaining people on his team. When I interviewed his current direct reports and people who had left, I heard the same complaints. "Working for him is like a guessing game. We don't know what our roles are or what we are supposed to do." We presented our findings along with our recommendations for change. Below are three reasons employees were leaving, along with ways to get them to stay.

  • US payrolls add 136,000 new jobs; unemployment rate drops to 3.5%

    Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk Management

    In September, U.S. nonfarm payrolls added 136,000 new hires versus 130,000 in August, as the unemployment rate dropped to 3.5%, a 50-year low, compared with 3.7% in August, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There were 5.8 million unemployed workers in September, down 275,000 from August. Despite the record low rate of unemployment in September, average hourly earnings for all workers on private nonfarm payrolls dropped a penny after climbing 11 cents in August, according to the BLS.

  • It’s true at work: No good deed goes unpunished

    D. Albert Brannen Business Management, Services & Risk Management

    Life is full of sayings that can apply to work. Some of them might include: "do unto others as you would have them do unto you," "turn the other cheek," "walk the high road," and "kill them with kindness." But, unfortunately, this employment lawyer has learned that when it comes to work, one adage always seems to ring true: "No good deed goes unpunished." It often seems that the more breaks an employer gives an employee, the more often the employee asks for a loan or pay advance, files a charge of discrimination, or starts a campaign to get a union into the workplace.

  • Healthcare groups: ONC should delay data-blocking rules, focus on security

    Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied Healthcare

    ​Federal policymakers in healthcare IT are up against it. As many as seven healthcare industry groups are encouraging these rulemakers to begin dealing with data-blocking regulations now, including delaying the publication of a final rule. The groups are raising the flag toward the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) to issue another supplemental notice of rulemaking and clarify the language in the rules. The organizations cite confusion regarding ONC's definition and scope of electronic health information and health information networks.

  • How Hurricane Dorian affected tourism in the Bahamas, Florida and the Carolinas

    Bambi Majumdar Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

    Last month, Hurricane Dorian stalled for 36 hours over the Bahamas, injuring and killing many. The rampant destruction caused by the Category 5 hurricane had a huge, destructive impact on the tourism industry in the Bahamas. Organizations and members of the travel community are actively working together to revive businesses on the islands and bring tourists back. In a recent broadcast, travel leaders and government officials in the country announced that it was safe to travel to the Bahamas. They also mentioned how tourists could help the islands get back on their feet.