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Bursting the bubble of driverless cars
Lucy Wallwork Transportation Technology & AutomotiveSorry to rain on the parade. Each of us is as susceptible to the romance of science-fiction visions of cities as the next person. These visions sell magazines, they provoke debate at the water cooler. They are a ubiquitous part of the visuals surrounding any "smart city" vision. The latest seductive images of our urban future is that of the driverless car. This is not to decry technological advances. However, there are good reasons to be suspicious about some of the claims about how driverless vehicles are going to transform our towns and cities.
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For many hospitals, the fax machine is still the dominant information sharing…
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcareThe fax machine has not gone anywhere in medicine. This so-called "ancient relic" is still operational and is considered a simple, yet powerful tool for those in healthcare, despite the other more modern modalities of exchanging information. According to newly released federal data, almost three-quarters of nonfederal acute care hospitals routinely use faxes to receive summary of care records from providers outside their system, according to the data released by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health IT.
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Marijuana drinks may start to make a splash
Bambi Majumdar Food & BeverageMarijuana drinks are the new kids on the block in the beverage world. Beer giant Molson Coors announced that it is ready to grab a large share of the nascent market with its line of cannabis-infused drinks. Its plans align with Canada making cannabis edibles legal later this year. Molson Coors may be in the lead, but it is not the only one interested in this niche. A Forbes article reported Coca-Cola as planning to launch cannabidiol (CBD)-infused drinks for the masses in the U.S. after the 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp as a controlled substance.
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Labor unions ring in new year with lawsuits, strikes, and more
Michelle R. Matisons Civil & GovernmentIt’s 2019 and the year is so new that everyone wonders what it has in store. One thing is for certain. U.S. labor unions are starting off the new year swinging. Whether they are opposing GM plant closures, contesting the no pay provision of the current government shutdown, or planning a large urban teachers strike, 2019 has already started off as a year filled with strong labor voices amidst record-setting partisan rancor.
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NMITS opportunity: A $2 billion small business IDIQ
Brenda Crist Civil & GovernmentThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Mission Information Technology Services (NMITS) opportunity is a $2 billion-plus small business Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quality (IDIQ) contract designed to help NOAA meet its IT requirements. The NMITS RFP will be released in FY Q2 2019 and awarded in early 2020. It will have a five-year base period, five one-year option years and the ability to award tasks up to 60 months past the end of the ordering period — for a total of 15 years.
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FDA condemns use of teething jewelry for infants with teething pain
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareFor anyone who has raised a child, I think we can all agree that the teething season is awful! The crying, the fussing, the drooling. Then there’s the baby! Just kidding. Teething is no joke and most babies go through some level of discomfort during the season of time that baby teeth are erupting along the gum line. As a dental professional, you may have had patients ask you for your advice on how to deal with their baby’s teething.
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U.S. payrolls add 312,000 jobs as unemployment rises to 3.9 percent
Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementNonfarm employers added 312,000 new hires in December, and the number of jobless workers increased 276,000 to 6.3 million, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The December rate of unemployment rising to 3.9 percent from 3.7 percent in November "happened for the ‘right’ reasons as more workers entered the labor force — the labor force participation rate ticked up 0.2 percentage points," according to Elise Gould, an economist with the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C.
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Real-time crime centers grow in number
Bambi Majumdar Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityThe Real-Time Crime Center for the Leon County Sheriff’s Office in Tallahassee, Florida, has begun to provide a high-tech boost to law enforcement in the Florida capital. While this is not the only Florida county to set up a center like this, it is one of the pioneers. It has taken time and a considerable federal grant to see the center finally happen. Intelligence analysts will be using data, technology, and analytics to help police officers in the field. As they go on, police analysts will build a portfolio of victims and wanted people to share with deputies in the field.
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After national legalization of marijuana, Canadian agency studies human…
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Civil & GovernmentMarijuana became legal in Canada in October 2018. Like many states in the U.S., government officials are struggling with how to manage, measure and understand both legal and illegal use of cannabis. This is where the study of human excrement comes in. Sewage in several municipalities will be studied to gain knowledge of cannabis use. Statistics Canada will use a process referred to as wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) to estimate cannabis use by the general public in several Canadian municipalities.
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States begin to mandate mental health education
Bambi Majumdar EducationExperts state that an overwhelming majority of our youth who commit suicide, over 90 percent, suffer from depression or other diagnosable forms of mental illness. Students who have some kind of mental illness are less likely to succeed in school as well. With such ominous statistics staring us in the face, it is high time we have straight talk with our children about mental health. New York and Virginia have become the first states to mandate that schools include mental health education in their curriculums. It is a step in the right direction, and other states should follow suit.
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