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Edmonton tackles fence security with autonomous vehicles
Matt Falcus Transportation Technology & AutomotiveEdmonton International Airport (EIA) is leading the way in developing systems to protect the safety of its perimeter by introducing a new autonomous vehicle that offers an extra set of eyes around the miles of fencing that are hard to patrol in person. I reported last month about the problems airports are facing in securing the vast areas of land away from the passenger terminals, which could prove an easy target to those intent on breaking onto airport property and causing danger.
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4 fascinating state capitol buildings
Cindy Belt Recreation & LeisureA great place to visit in each state is a state’s capitol building. I love the history, the stories behind it, the architecture, and that visiting capitol buildings is free! Most capitols also have free tours available, so you can hear more stories. There are two issues to remember…you may need to go through a metal detector. Also, parking can be difficult in these cities. Parking an RV would be very difficult. Here are four intriguing capitol buildings.
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US adds 157,000 jobs in July as unemployment falls to 3.9 percent
Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementNonfarm payroll jobs rose 157,000 in July compared with 213,000 in June, as the unemployment rate fell to 3.9 percent from 4.0 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Employment rose in healthcare, manufacturing, professional and business services, and social assistance. Meanwhile, workers' pay is flat. Standard economic theory holds that a falling jobless rate motivates employers to raise workers' pay, as the pool of job-seekers declines. Empirical data, though, shows otherwise.
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Massachusetts passes new law to combat opioid abuse
Jason Poquette PharmaceuticalOn July 19, the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed a new package of legislation aimed to combat the persistent problem of opioid addiction, abuse and overdose in the state. Referred to as the "CARE Act" (an act for prevention and access to appropriate care and treatment of addiction), this 50-page, 97-section, piece of legislation hopes to address an issue that is said to be taking the lives of five people per day in Massachusetts. As a Massachusetts pharmacist myself, I’m encouraged to see that this issue remains a high priority.
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Questions raised after transplant programs suspended, threatened with decertification
Chelsea Adams Healthcare AdministrationThe suspension of a Colorado-based organ transplant program and threats to decertify New York City's organ procurement organization have raised questions for patients on waiting lists. Some 230 patients waiting for a kidney, liver or pancreas at Porter Adventist Hospital in Denver must now look for new organ transplant programs in the area. Porter Adventist informed patients in July that the hospital is voluntarily suspending operations.
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Uncertainty reigns: Iran, the US and oil sanctions
Seth Sandronsky Natural ResourcesAfter President Trump pulled the U.S. out of a nuclear pact with Iran in May, the White House is now threatening Iran with oil sanctions that would take effect in early November. What is at stake in and out of the U.S.? And how would this affect the European Union, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany, which remain in the Iran pact? A brief look back can be instructive, according to Trita Parsi, founder and president of the National Iranian American Council in Washington, D.C.
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Finding motivation without a raise
Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementOnce upon a time, there were clear career paths. Show up, learn the job, take courses, start managing, take on more complex projects and continue to earn increasing responsibility, with pay raises each step of the way. Yes, sometimes the other guy would get the promotion, but it was clear there was a promotion to get and it was clear what could be done for the next opportunity. Work has changed. Staying at a job for two years is no longer considered job hopping, and staying for more than five years can look like you are stagnating.
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Endangered Species Act faces energy-friendly rollbacks
Michelle R. Matisons Waste Management & EnvironmentalThe late 1960s and ‘70s were times of immense change in the U.S. The catalyst was the Vietnam War draft that caused the young people of that generation to question everything about the American lifestyle. This included attention to the large-scale destruction of the natural world, which launched the modern environmental movement. The first Earth Day was in 1970, and three years later, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was born. Today, the ESA faces dramatic changes under the Trump administration, leaving animal and plant lovers everywhere concerned for our collective future.
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What impression do you want to leave where you live?
Frank R. Myers Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityMost firefighters take great pride in their work and what they do. The decals on personal vehicles and fire department-emblazoned T-shirts, polo shirts or any article of clothing worn off-duty advertise who we are and what we do. The public sees us as servants for the municipality we work for and a person to go to in a time of need. This is especially important if you live in the area where you work! How we act when not in the line of duty is important because any small detail of inconsideration, rudeness, inappropriate behavior, etc. while in public can give not only you, but your department and/or your municipality a bad name.
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Reshoring hits rough domestic waters
Delany Martinez ManufacturingSome call the moves bold, others brash, but no matter which way you perceive the recent trade-related moves of the current administration, they're making some large, potentially negative waves for manufacturing. One of President Trump's key talking points in the run-up to the 2016 election was an optimistic promise of reshoring the large amounts of manufacturing jobs that had set sail in search of more favorable foreign waters. For a time, it looked like it might have been a self-fulfilling prophecy, but in June, simmering trade tensions with China seemed to explode virtually overnight.
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