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At last, a roadside screening test for THC
Dave G. Houser Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityNovember’s midterm elections added three states — Michigan, Missouri and Utah — to the growing list of 34 states that have legalized cannabis for medical and/or recreational use. That means that about 90 million Americans live where pot is legal, so the ramifications — good and bad — affect almost a third of our nation’s population. Aside from the fact that marijuana is still classified as an illegal controlled substance by federal law — subjecting those who partake to potential criminal prosecution — the use of pot is posing a more immediate and vexing problem concerning public safety.
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Studies show obesity is a major concern for active-duty military and veterans
Karen Harrison Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityLosing weight is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions, and according to new data, if you’re a veteran, the need to drop those extra pounds has never been more acute. A new survey conducted by Westat on behalf of the Wounded Warrior Project polled more than 33,000 post-9/11 veterans and service members, and found that, alarmingly, more than half of all survey respondents were obese, based on their body mass index measurements. Of those, about 7 percent were morbidly obese. What’s more, the number of obese service members increased by more than 3 percent since a 2014 survey, the report found.
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Is last month’s manufacturing job increase a trend or a blip?
Michelle R. Matisons ManufacturingWhile the glory days of manufacturing jobs are gone, and globalization has fundamentally shifted the production terrain abroad, November’s job numbers show U.S. manufacturing jobs are on the rise. Is this a trend? Since November 2016, manufacturing jobs have increased by 189,000. Generally, 228,000 new jobs appeared in November 2018, with 27,000 in manufacturing. These productive statistics conflict with the tone set two weeks ago when 14,700 GM employees heard they might be relocated or laid off from GM facilities in the U.S. and Canada.
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Health IT receiving much-needed attention from the government
Tammy Hinojos Medical & Allied HealthcareTechnological advances are by definition supposed to advance that portion of an industry they exist to serve. To make things easier, more intuitive, less burdensome. But all too often, it seems, just the opposite is true. Healthcare providers know all about the hurdles associated with electronic health records (EHRs). The cumbersome system — one that should be designed to streamline the information-gathering process — is broken, in the opinion of many American healthcare providers.
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U.S. payrolls grow by 155,000 jobs as unemployment holds at 3.7 percent
Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementNonfarm payroll jobs rose 155,000 in November, down from 250,000 in October, while the rate of unemployment remained at 3.7 percent for the third straight month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. In November, the number of jobless workers was 6.0 million workers versus 6.1 million in October. November’s jobs report could be a harbinger of slower growth due to the U.S. and China imposing retaliatory import tariffs. That conflict is on pause now, though existing tariff impacts on businesses and consumers continue.
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US, China come to trade truce — for now
Seth Sandronsky Civil & GovernmentThere are signs that U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping want to mend if not end a growing trade fight. Businesses in both nations would appear to welcome the 90-day binational trade truce between the nations that began on Dec. 1. "China will agree to purchase a not yet agreed upon, but very substantial, amount of agricultural, energy, industrial, and other product from the United States to reduce the trade imbalance between our two countries," according to a White House statement. This is not a signed agreement, though. In other words, this is no done deal.
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In a US first, Chicago charter school workers strike
Michelle R. Matisons EducationPublic education reform in the past few decades has included a massive shift of funding and resources toward the charter school model. This model allows publicly funded schools to be managed by nonprofits or for-profit companies. Charter schools do not have to honor employee collective bargaining rights, making it difficult to organize charter teachers’ unions. However, Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), merged with the city’s charter educators’ union, United Educators for Justice (UEJ), is conducting the first U.S. charter teachers’ strike against the Acero charter network, which began Dec. 4.
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Logistics in the fire department
Frank R. Myers Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityWhen I first signed up to be on my department’s USAR (Urban Search and Rescue), FEMA Florida Task Force 2 (FLTF2) team, I did not have a clue about the different disciplines there were and what was available. I just wanted to be a part of it. The Task Force Leader at that time said we needed logistics personnel. So, I said "OK," sounds neat to me! As a logistics specialist/manager/leader, you were responsible for all equipment and gear (the cache), its inventory, resupply and maintenance. We were also responsible for the vehicles and the driving of them, food and lodging, among other tasks.
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Are crime-fighting apps truly a boon for law enforcement?
Bambi Majumdar Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityCrime-fighting apps are the news of the day in law enforcement. We shouldn't be surprised by this, since every facet of our lives now seems to be app-driven. It is interesting to note, however, that both the police and the public are investing in advanced apps to prevent crimes from happening around them. The question is: will these apps prevent crimes or will they create a new crowd of vigilantes? The Citizen crime app in New York City is a popular example.
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Federal fracking push has state, local resistance
Michelle R. Matisons Natural ResourcesThe controversial oil and gas extraction method known as hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," was once regulated under an Obama-era rule addressing chemical disclosure when fracking public land. Since then, this rule has been overturned by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), as the federal government opens the field of oil and gas extraction to much opposition. Given the Trump administration’s anti-regulatory zeal, what is the current status of fracking in the U.S.?
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