Seattle, Washington, is widely seen as a pro-immigrant city. So many residents were shocked to learn that a nearby airport has been used to deport some 34,000 people in the last eight years. Now King County, where the airport is located, is signalling its opposition to those deportations. We also learn about a subversive hand sign adopted from Hollywood and used in Thailand; we visit a radio program whose signals connect families split between central California and southern Mexico; we meet a teacher who’s helping kids feel proud to communicate in their native tongues; we hear from a man who learned how to deal with a misreading of his name; and we hear the music of a man who won’t yield to pressure to spell it all out.

(Detainees are loaded onto a Swift Air charter flight at King County International Airport (Boeing Field) in Seattle, WA, for a February 26 ICE Air flight. Credit: Still image from video by Alex Montalvo and Wadii Boughdir for the University of Washington Center for Human Rights)

It's almost been 20 years since the war in Afghanistan started. The Afghan people want a solution and the US is trying to make a deal. Everyone wants to forge a pathway towards peace and stop the threat of nearly daily violence. Currently, peace talks between the US and the Taliban are developing and could be at an important stage.

Also, a cache of previously unpublished documents, including interviews with top US policy makers, describe many of the failures from the war in Afghanistan. The White House’s former top advisor on Afghanistan, Douglas Lute, and a former anti-corruption officer at the US Embassy in Kabul, Sarah Peck, share their thoughts on the Afghanistan papers; As a US military veteran, author CJ Chivers shares his unique perspective on the Afghan war; and Feroza Mushtari grew up during the Taliban era, but she has become a force for change in the country's maternal health system.

(US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad attends the Intra Afghan Dialogue talks in the Qatari capital Doha. Credit: Karim Jaafar/Getty Images)

This week Zorba and Karl discuss how melatonin gummies may have a higher dose than what’s on the label, and they examine new research showing sedentary time may significantly enlarge […]

During his 11 years as an NFL quarterback, Jeff Kemp was known on and off the field for his leadership skills. Whether it was calling and executing plays on the gridiron or working away from the sport to strengthen marriages and families, Kemp has always been willing to work for the improvement of the modern family. Recently, Kemp has teamed up with Fatherhood CoMission to champion fatherhood both inside and outside the Church.  It is his desire for dads to be positive difference makers in...

Diversified Fall Protection has appointed Gabe Galvan as EBM design director. Galvan will play a key role in leveraging the company’s newly acquired California Scaffold Inspection and Testing license. This license permits DFP to offer inspection, testing and design services related to exterior building maintenance and other equipment within California.

The Rainscreen Association in North America announced the launch of the RAiNA Awards, an annual program celebrating outstanding achievements in rainscreen design, innovation and construction. The awards aim to recognize projects that exemplify the highest standards of excellence, technical performance, sustainability and aesthetic design in rainscreen systems across North America.

The American Concrete Institute, in collaboration with NEx: An ACI Center of Excellence for Nonmetallic Building Materials, has released two new resources for fiber-reinforced polymer reinforcement.

The Center for the Polyurethanes Industry announced Oct. 2 that The 2023 End-Use Market Survey on the Polyurethanes Industry in the United States, Canada and Mexico is now available for purchase from the ACC store.

Loading docks generally aren’t known for their stylishness, but a new such structure at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is breaking with that tradition. The addition of glass curtainwall and a protective overhang clad in copper-toned metal tiles create a real visual pop in the middle of the airport’s runway area.

Acoustical panels are a basic necessity in many architectural applications, but St. Louis-based G&S Acoustics has elevated the simple panel to an art form, using cutting edge technology and design creativity.

With the introduction of Tectum DesignArt– Lines Finale PB ceiling and wall panels, Armstrong World Industries offers architects and designers an opportunity to deliver unique visuals created by panels providing excellent sound absorption.

The Metal Construction Association announced the 2024 MCA Design Awards winners. The MCA Design Awards are among the most prestigious awards in the metal construction industry and recognize member-companies involved in the construction of outstanding building projects that use metal in significant and innovative ways.

The new initiative was announced by the government in the Budget today

Sector veteran Peter Cardy offers answers to your workplace dilemmas

A project delivery model that is surprisingly efficient.

After a comprehensive selection process, BCA Architects was selected to design the new 400-seat performing arts center for Pioneer Valley High School.

KAI Enterprises proudly announces that Tim McMinn, AIA has been named Design Principal. McMinn was previously Director of Architecture at KAI. The transition is recognition of McMinn’s passionate drive to create innovative and highly creative solutions for clients.

A team of Cal Poly architectural engineering (ARCE) students placed second in the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) Seismic Design Competition (SDC) in early March in San Diego.

Oak City Remodeling in Raleigh, North Carolina, elevates the home renovation experience with comprehensive services.

A major Midwestern design festival, now in its 14th year, kicks into high gear next week with talks and events on the creative process, sustainability, branding, urbanism and design, the allied arts and much more.

The new PAC-CLAD Board and Batten wall panel system from Petersen expands the creative options for designers and specifiers of exterior cladding systems. The Board and Batten system uses concealed fasteners to maintain clean lines and a rhythmic pattern of alternating wide, vertical boards and narrower, elevated battens.

Mecanoo and Beyer Blinder Belle designed The New York Public Library’s completely renovated Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library. The design team selected Rockfon Alaska acoustic stone wool ceiling panels to create a cohesive, timeless appearance while providing best-level sound absorption and sustainability benefits.

Cambridge, MA — A Workers Compensation Research Institute study of workers with low-back injuries shows those who receive longer-term prescriptions for opioid painkillers take significantly longer to return to work than those who are not prescribed opioids.

Washington — A new virtual toolkit from NIOSH is intended to help protect first responders from exposure to illicit drugs, including fentanyl – a synthetic opioid considered up to 50 times more potent than heroin.

Chantilly, VA — Fire and emergency medical service workers are being urged not to ignore or downplay the warning signs of a heart attack – a leading cause of firefighter fatalities – as part of a new awareness campaign launched by the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

Washington — Federal regulation of autonomous trucks must “prioritize both workers and safety,” the International Brotherhood of Teamsters says.

Trenton, NJ — A new law in New Jersey will provide temporary workers with additional rights and protections against unsafe working conditions.

Can you clarify the differences between the previous OSHA sign standard and the recently updated OSHA sign standard that incorporates ANSI Z535?

Our employees don’t pay attention to the safety signs we have posted. How can we change this?

What are the best ways to ensure that safety signs and labels are understood by both facility managers and machine operators?

What are the sign/label options for harsh environments?

I know that OSHA references the latest ANSI standards in its regulations about safety signs, but many of the signs I see online and in catalogs don’t use these formats. Why are signs that use the latest ANSI standards better for my workplace?

What does the future of safety signs and labels look like?

How important is location to the effectiveness of safety signs?

Washington – A fall prevention guide recently released by NIOSH aims to help building owners and designers build more safety features into their facilities rather than relying on back-end controls.

Lutron Electronics, Coopersburg, Pa., a provider of energy-saving, wireless light and shade control, is making it simpler than ever to propose and evaluate a Lutron lighting control solution for retrofit applications, according to the company.

Washington – The Mine Safety and Health Administration needs to provide better oversight of coal mine operators’ emergency response plans, according to a recent audit conducted by the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.

Washington — A new law permanently restores a recently expired excise tax rate increase on coal production, which will help fund health care and other benefits for coal miners who have black lung disease.

Brent Street runs through a diverse, tree-lined neighborhood in Dorchester, Mass. At 81 Brent Street stands a three-story, traditional New England home. However, its basic design is the only traditional thing about the home, which is adorned with 30 solar panels on its roof, native and drought-tolerant plants and trees in its yard, and a home automation system fit for the Jetson’s.

Cleveland – Health care workers frequently contaminate their skin and clothing when removing gloves or gowns, and researchers from the Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center are recommending additional education and redesigned personal protective equipment.

Richmond, CA – Agencies tasked with overseeing refinery safety in California need better coordination and stronger regulation, concludes a new report from the state’s Interagency Working Group on Refinery Safety.

Washington – A corroded pipe that had not been inspected for years was the source of the hydrogen release and subsequent explosion at the Silver Eagle Refinery in 2009, according to a new analysis from the Chemical Safety Board.

After investigating a series of recent fires, explosions and toxic leaks at chemical plants, the Chemical Safety Board has emphasized the need for Inherently Safer Design. What does the term mean, and how can employers use the principles of ISD to create safer workplaces?

Washington – NIOSH and SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s nanotechnology school have signed an agreement to work together on nanotechnology research and provide guidance on occupational safety and health.

Washington — NIOSH has released four guidance documents intended to “provide options” for employers to better protect workers exposed to nanomaterials.

What are the most common challenges with GHS-compliant signs and labels?

Website operators who seek to bind visitors to the terms of an arbitration agreement must make those terms “reasonably conspicuous” under the law.

A party that signs a document is conclusively bound by its terms absent a valid excuse for having failed to read it.

SDM spoke with industry experts about gunshot and gun detection solutions and the opportunities those solutions offer to security dealers and integrators.

Fire alarm signaling devices are integral to the health and safety of a building and its occupants. Experts weigh in on the latest trends, codes and products.