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Report: US job losses to China grow, as does trade deficit
Seth Sandronsky Civil & GovernmentThe U.S. trade deficit with China has reduced sharply employment stateside since 2001, according to "The China Toll Deepens," a new report from the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. The finding from the EPI’s Robert E. Scott and Zane Mokhiber "examines the job impacts of trade by subtracting the job opportunities lost to imports from those gained through exports." Their thesis is simple. The bilateral trade deficit in goods between the planet’s two biggest economies is the main cause of the U.S. employment losses that are concentrated in the American manufacturing sector.
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Red Ribbon Week honors fallen hero, promotes drug prevention
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityOct. 23 marked the start of Red Ribbon Week. This is the nation’s oldest and largest drug prevention ad awareness program. It was started in 1985 to honor Special Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Special Agent Camarena was tortured and murdered by drug traffickers while investigating in Mexico. After his passing, high school friend Henry Lozano worked with former U.S. Rep. Duncan L. Hunter to create Camarena Clubs to recognize and honor the agent.
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US Supreme Court will hear important public land regulation case in November
Michelle R. Matisons Waste Management & EnvironmentalIn a case that has been going strong for 11 years, on Nov. 5, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear another round in an important case about state vs. federal land regulations: Sturgeon v. Frost. This case has particular significance for Alaska Native subsistence fishing, which is one reason many Alaskan Natives opposed Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the high court. This is not the first time the Court has heard this case. It dates back to 2007, when non-Native Alaskan John Sturgeon, got into an entanglement with the National Parks Service when he was hunting moose using a hovercraft on Nations River in the Yukon-Charley National Preserve.
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JUUL comes under federal scrutiny amid meteoric rise
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Civil & GovernmentJUUL Labs, whose product is an electronic smoking/vaping system, recently achieved the fastest "decacorn" valuation ever — over $10 billion in the first seven months of its first venture capital round. This is reported to have been four times faster than Facebook and five times faster than Snapchat. This comes at a time when the use of electronic cigarettes for inhaling nicotine and marijuana by teenagers is increasing at an alarming rate. The JUUL product has an appeal to adolescents and teenagers as it can be used without detection.
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FMCSA passes rule for veterans to waive commercial learner’s permit,…
Miranda Y. Brumbaugh Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityFor veterans who have military experience in commercial truck and vehicle operation, it seems natural to want to apply these skills to a civilian career. Yet to transition from a military truck driving job to a commercial truck driver has historically not been simple. Fortunately, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is changing that for military veterans. The FMCSA has recently passed the Military Licensing and State Commercial Driver’s License Reciprocity rule. Find out what this rule means for military veterans.
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Can controversial coal be shipped from old military bases?
Michelle R. Matisons Waste Management & EnvironmentalIt’s no secret that the current presidential administration favors dirtier forms of energy, like coal production. About one year ago, at the U.N. Global Climate Summit in Bonn, Germany, many countries expressed a commitment to end coal-generated carbon emissions by 2030. This did not include the U.S., whose top leaders remain committed to the coal industry. Now, President Trump has announced a new plan to use decommissioned U.S. military facilities for controversial coal shipments. Is this even possible?
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Advertising and the city: Are billboards a threat to public space?
Lucy Wallwork Facilities & GroundsPlaces like Times Square in New York and the Shibuya in Tokyo are home to some of the most iconic scenes of urban space on the planet. We cannot imagine them without their iconic billboards and digital displays, which have become part of their visual identity. But the spilling out of corporate advertising into increasing areas of our public space is being resisted. Advertisers argue that billboards can bring a number of benefits to a city, but some activists and reformers are pushing their local governments to make their neighborhoods ad-free.
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ADA shares vision for the future in oral health with surgeon general
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareThe American Dental Association has many roles, but one of the main ones is advocacy on behalf of member dentists around the nation. Recently, ADA President Joseph P. Crowley and President-elect Jeffrey Cole met with U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, M.D., in Washington to discuss the state of oral health in the U.S. among other important issues. During their meeting with the surgeon general, the ADA leaders and staff discussed the forthcoming update to the Surgeon General’s Report on Oral Health.
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Intellectual property protections grow under USMCA
Seth Sandronsky Civil & GovernmentA revised 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement, dubbed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, pleases the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). "The successful conclusion of the USMCA is a significant step toward leveling the playing field with our trading partners by delivering strong IP (intellectual property) protections for American manufacturers and innovators," said PhRMA President and CEO Stephen J. Ubl. Public Citizen, based in Washington, D.C., takes a less cheery view of the renegotiated IP for biologics under the USMCA.
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Heating industry turns up the temperature on PLC cybersecurity
Joseph Zulick Science & TechnologyHow important is cybersecurity for programmable logic controllers (PLCs) in today's industrial settings? Merely a matter of national security. Consider this: in 2016, the NATO nations officially recognized cyberspace as a domain of warfare. In geopolitical terms, a cyberattack is now as actionable as a naval attack. Within industrial and commercial settings, cyber malice is a frequently seen as a leading threat, and likely a permanent one. As first brought to global attention by the Stuxnet attack in 2010, PLCs are a tempting target for malice.
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