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Understanding the impact of chronic absenteeism for students
Brian Stack EducationChronic absenteeism data for schools is about to become much more public. By the end of this month, the Every Student Succeeds Act has required that schools list chronic absenteeism rates on their state report cards. Many schools across the country have already started to do this, and the work started with states defining at what point absences would be considered a chronic issue. By whichever standard you use, there is no debate that chronic absenteeism among students is a growing problem that plagues all schools.
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FDA proposes restrictions on flavored nicotine
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Civil & GovernmentThe Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently reported that from 2017 to 2018, there was a 78 percent increase in current e-cigarette use among high school students and a 48 percent increase among middle school students. More than two-thirds of these youth use flavored e-cigarettes. This alarming rise in use has prompted several policy changes that will directly impact youth appeal and youth access to flavored tobacco products. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., has taken action by proposing to prevent youth access to flavored tobacco products.
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GM announces plant closures, Trump threatens to cancel subsidies
Michelle R. Matisons Transportation Technology & AutomotiveIf we need any more proof of the disparities between campaign promises and economic realities, consider that automotive giant General Motors has announced a restructuring that includes laying off 15 percent of its salaried employees and 25 percent of its executive employees. That’s 14,700 more North American workers without jobs by 2019. GM plans to "focus on electric and self-driving vehicles and prepares for a downturn in the auto market or a weakening on the U.S. economy." The company’s new motto? "Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions, Zero Congestion." But, for some, Zero Jobs is all they see.
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New science, government studies highlight climate change’s urgency
Michelle R. Matisons Waste Management & EnvironmentalFor over a year, we have witnessed one weather disaster after another besiege the United States mainland and beyond. This hurricane season, we saw Florence and Michael take Southern states hostage with a fury of wind and floodwaters, only to be paralleled with more California fires. "What next?" we ask. According to two new science and government studies, we can look forward to more compounded ecological catastrophes producing dramatic social changes.
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Federal prison reform bill endorsed by President Trump
Michelle R. Matisons Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityInside and outside criminal justice circles it’s understood that the U.S. prison system, including state-run, private, and immigration detention facilities, needs restructuring. The overcrowding of jail and prison facilities alone has led to massive health problems and social conflicts, which can lead to increased inmate deaths. In its effort to exploit fears of crime, the prison boom cast a net too wide and caught too many people in it. Now we are seeing the reaction, as the bipartisan First Step Act was passed by the House, recently publicly endorsed by President Trump, and is now in the Senate.
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Amsterdam Schiphol expansion proposed as Lelystad delayed
Matt Falcus Transportation Technology & AutomotiveAmsterdam Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands needs to find creative ways to cope with capacity issues and is hoping further expansion could give it breathing space as it awaits the opening of Lelystad as a sister airport. Proposals to develop Lelystad, some 30 miles east of the city, into a commercial airport to handle Schiphol’s low-cost and leisure flights have been delayed to 2020 instead of next year to allow more time to consult with users and local residents. In the short term, this gives Schiphol a headache.
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A look at officer mental health and community relations
Bambi Majumdar Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityMore police officers die by suicide than in the line of duty. In 2017, there were an estimated 140 law enforcement suicides. Law enforcement officers also suffer from more depression, PTSD, burnout, and anxiety than others. A recent national policing conference in Elkhart, Indiana, addressed these serious issues to help officers find a better balance between work and home life. It is vital that departments spread mental health awareness among law enforcement officers, their friends, and families.
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FDA to strengthen compliance for electronic nicotine products
Tammy Hinojos Civil & GovernmentTeens are more likely to use e-cigarettes than traditional cigarettes, according to a recent report put out by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. This probably does not come as a surprise to anyone with decent youth culture awareness. Perhaps the more telling statistic — and certainly more alarming one — states that teen e-cigarette users are much more likely to start smoking. In fact, 30.7 percent of e-cigarette users will start smoking within six months versus only 8.1 percent of non-users. The Food and Drug Administration is responding to this alarming trend.
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Travel2020: New app finds the money when air woes arrive
Lark Gould Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementMy story is not unusual. I was heading home from the island of Mallorca last October. There was nothing brewing in the weather and, indeed, the waves of tourists that summer brings were long gone. I headed to the low-cost carrier I was taking back to Los Angeles, checked in, snaked through security, made it to the gate in plenty of time … and waited. And waited. Some 10 minutes before the flight was supposed to depart, the crowd stirred. No announcement, just clumps of individuals leaving their seats and heading elsewhere.
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Better broadband needed for telehealth access in rural areas
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcareRural Americans are going online for a variety of health-related services, but better availability of broadband internet is necessary to meet future telehealth demand, a new U.S. Department of Agriculture report suggests. Telehealth is rising in popularity for rural areas because of doctor shortages, hospital closings and lack of reliable transportation options. "It allows people to be more engaged in their own health while facilitating care of minor ailments and monitoring of chronic conditions," researchers said.
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