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State-run retirement plans are becoming more popular

Grace Ferguson Business Management, Services & Risk Management

A huge retirement savings shortfall is underway — and many are calling it a crisis. Consequently, some states are launching their own retirement savings programs for private businesses and workers. Some states have passed legislation which require employers to offer a qualified retirement plan — such as a 401(k) or SIMPLE IRA — either through the state-run program or the private market. A few other states have developed voluntary programs for private-sector businesses and workers.

Struggling learners: Critical IEP questions and a critical Supreme Court…

Howard Margolis Education

Regardless of their child’s disability, parents worry about getting their child an IEP that meets his or her needs. Typically, they want to know how to effectively prepare for the IEP meeting. To develop an IEP that is likely to produce substantial progress in important areas, it's critical for parents to write down the questions that need answering and to share them with the case manager at least two weeks in advance of the meeting. This helps to focus and structure the IEP meeting on their child's most pressing needs.

Combat accuracy vs. precision

Mike Ox Law Enforcement, Defense & Security

One of the arguments against practicing to shoot one-hole groups is that you won't have time to do this under stress. That's a fine argument, but it's one-dimensional and conflicts with the very training that teaches it. Oftentimes, the same training that teaches that 8-inch groups in sterile training conditions are adequate also teaches that you should fire two rounds to center-of-mass and, if that doesn't stop the threat, to shoot one round to the head. The problem is movement, stress, speed, and unstable shooting positions will cause your shot groups in a surprise self-defense situation to be at least twice as big as your groups in practice.

Law enforcement reforms regarding the mentally ill show gradual improvement

Bambi Majumdar Law Enforcement, Defense & Security

Portland, Oregon, recently made news with law enforcement reform efforts regarding mentally ill citizens. Six years ago, the city pledged to make police reforms mandated by the federal government. The city has declared those efforts a success, though it has admitted that work at the state and the local levels need improvement. These reforms are intended to curb excessive force against mentally ill people, a pressing issue that departments across the nation need to analyze and improve.

How to prevent financial fraud at your church

Deborah Ike Religious Community

You may have seen a recent news article regarding a church financial secretary who embezzled over half a million dollars from the church. Other churches have faced the awful reality that a trusted staff member or volunteer committed fraud and stole from the church. While we'd all prefer to trust those who handle church finances, that's not a risk we can afford to take. Instead, we need to have safeguards in place to protect the church and the reputation of those handling church finances. Here are a few simple ways to protect against fraud.

Will the coronavirus outbreak cause a global economic downturn?

Linchi Kwok Business Management, Services & Risk Management

The COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak is at a turning point from an epidemic to a pandemic. According to an update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Feb. 22, a total of 32 countries have reported confirmed cases. In South Korea, for example, confirmed infected cases went up to 763 on Feb. 24. Six days earlier, the country only had 31 cases. On Feb. 23, Italy reported that three people had died, and 152 others had been infected with coronavirus; Iran also reported 43 confirmed infected cases. Airlines are canceling months of flights to and from China amid coronavirus fears.

Can opening statements for mediation be skipped? Tips for attorneys and…

Nancy Neal Yeend Law Enforcement, Defense & Security

There has been a lot written recently about how to start a mediation: with or without opening remarks by the participants, and with or without an opening statement by the mediator. Some feel that if the parties and/or their counsel give an opening, the mediation will just go downhill. Others feel a mediator's opening is not necessary, because "We've heard it all before!" Then there is also the reason that some mediators feel uncomfortable or are unable to handle emotional participants. These are fascinating reasons for skipping openings; however, could it be that they are just excuses that may not stand up to closer scrutiny?

Purple Heart recipient Sen. Tammy Duckworth proposes law to prevent deportation…

Rebecca Walker Donaldson Law Enforcement, Defense & Security

In early February 2020, U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., a wounded Iraq War veteran who was awarded a Purple Heart in 2004, introduced legislation to assist military members who, following their service and honorable discharge, face deportation. The new bill, called the Strengthening Citizenship Services for Veterans Act, would require Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officers to allow deportees to attend appointments at ports of entry, consulates or embassies without having to make their case for advance parole, a complicated process that ensures reentry to noncitizens who leave the U.S.

Fax elimination or evolution?

Kent McAllister Healthcare Administration

Facsimile technology is as old as the hills. There are multiple steps and multiple components related to historic and current fax processes in businesses around the world. Yet most of the people who talk about "fax elimination" either don't understand the multiple components, drivers and incentives adequately enough to articulate them, or they don't take the time. This article takes one step in the direction of taking the time to explain the components and some of the resulting challenges related to fax elimination, and then suggests some steps in fax evolution that will be more palatable in the healthcare market.

Public health cuts undermine US pandemic preparedness

Michelle R. Matisons Medical & Allied Healthcare

As China's coronavirus (COVID-19) spreads, the federal government in the U.S. has a limited health preparedness infrastructure in the event of a stateside pandemic viral outbreak. Instead, public health precautions taken by communities and hospitals must shape a proactive response to a global threat still in its nascent stages. The hollow husk left by recent public health budget cuts leave military command structures as the only coordinated "safety net" in a U.S. pandemic event.

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