-
Beating age discrimination just got harder
Patrick Gleeson Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityFighting age discrimination in employment was never easy. Perhaps the most important obstacle is that age discrimination isn’t easy to prove. Historically, when age discrimination in employment suits do go to trial, they’ve been decided overwhelmingly in favor of corporate America and against workers — about 99% of the time. As daunting as this sounds, recent significant appellate court decisions will almost certainly tilt the playing field even further toward corporate America and away from an increasing number of aging workers.
-
Economics key in new Endangered Species Act rules
Michelle R. Matisons Waste Management & EnvironmentalIn the grand scheme of federal vs. state-level environmental battles, we have nearly seen it all lately. With the Department of Interior steering the helm of the most controversial environmental issues of the day, we witness a shifty and complex federal culture when it comes to environmental rules. It’s on-again and off-again, with federal departments mainly deregulating and the federal judiciary emerging with some surprising decisions. The Trump administration appears to want to lift any restriction blocking land development; some federal judges have protected precarious rules or have challenged executive actions.
-
Risky business: The trade war and American farmers
Seth Sandronsky Food & BeverageChinese authorities recently announced an end to U.S. agricultural imports following President Trump’s threat to hike tariffs by 10% on $300 billion on Chinese imports, effective Sept. 1. That is bad news for U.S. farmers. What follows is a look at what some industry groups and politicians are doing and saying in response to the situation. "This trade war with China needs to come to an end. It is doing a lot of damage now and we are concerned about the long term," said Gary Wertish, the elected president of the Minnesota Farmers Union.
-
VA disability compensation claims: Avoiding the pitfalls
Roy Phillips Civil & GovernmentIf you're considering filing a claim with the VA, you should know that there are good three reasons why you should do it. The first is that, if you were injured while in the military, you should have your medical problems determined to be "Service Connected." The second reason to file a claim is that guaranteed income greatly increases your credit worthiness. It could make the difference between getting a home loan or not. The third reason is that increased numbers of claims lead to an increased budget for the VA, which translates to better care for vets. Before you file, please consider the following.
-
SmileDirectClub under fire for flouting federal regulations
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareYou may have seen ads for SmileDirectClub, a direct-to-consumer business model that sells plastic aligners to members for straightening teeth. At first pass, it may seem like a good idea. Straighten your teeth without so much as one visit to the orthodontist? But not everyone is a fan. The American Dental Association recently sent a complaint letter to the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, citing concerns over aspects of SmileDirectClub’s marketing and direct-to-consumer sales of plastic teeth aligners.
-
Infographic: The cost of downtime
Brian Wallace Science & TechnologyWhen the system stops, so does business. So, it is in your interest to resolve any problem as quickly as possible, and more than that, to prevent downtime in the first place. This is where infrastructure monitoring comes in. Every operating system is unique, and if you have a mixed IT infrastructure, you need a server monitoring service that caters to them all. There are several ways to look after your IT infrastructure. Learn more with this infographic.
-
Real-time crime centers: A look into the new-age tool every agency could…
Bambi Majumdar Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityData for the first six months of 2019 shows a huge decrease in crime in Fort Myers, Florida. The city’s police department said that it owes the good news to better policing strategies, used in tandem with new technology. Fort Myers’ Real-Time Crime Center played a significant role in bringing down the numbers. More and more police departments are now looking to allocate a part of their budget to set up these real-time crime centers.
-
How technology manufacturing fuels the US-China trade war
Michelle R. Matisons ManufacturingIt’s official: the trade war with China is heating up. On Aug. 5, after President Trump announced increased tariffs on Chinese imports, China devalued the yuan. The New York Times said it was the "worst day of the year" for Wall Street, with the S&P 500 closing down nearly 3%. There’s no consensus on what's happening here. China’s plan to move from cheap to high-value tech goods manufacturing plays a major role in President Trump’s tariff increase on Chinese imports and the no-deal climate between the countries.
-
Native Alaskan tribe’s lawsuit fights ANWR drilling
Michelle R. Matisons Natural ResourcesJuly 31 was a fateful day in the climate change struggle. Just as the Gwich’in tribe of Alaska and Canada launched an important anti-drilling lawsuit, Greenland’s ice sheet lost 12.5 billion tons of ice in one day. Although an offshore drilling ban was recently upheld by Alaska federal court for some Arctic areas, the Trump administration seems set on drilling the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge's (ANWR) 1002 Area, with speculated returns of up to 9 billion gallons of oil. The Gwich’in tribe, along with the Wilderness Society, Alaska Wilderness League, and Defenders of Wildlife, want to keep the oil in the ground.
-
Age discrimination harms everyone, but it’s hard to prove
Patrick Gleeson Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementYou may think you have a realistic understanding of discrimination against older workers, but it's likely you underestimate how widespread age discrimination in employment actually is. For example, "front-facing" jobs in industries that involve in-person contact with customers often go to younger workers whose presence suggests that the company is forward-looking and innovative. Contrary to its reputation for liberal political and social ideas, Silicon Valley is another prominent offender. But it's less well-known that this kind of discrimination exists in nearly every industry in America.
All Civil & Government Articles