Washington — OSHA’s changes to which workplaces are required to submit annual injury and illness data are undergoing final review, according to an Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs dashboard.

Mission 500, a charitable nonprofit organization engaging security professionals to assist families in crisis across the USA, will announce the winners of its annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Humanitarian Awards at ISC West today, Thursday, March 30. The ceremony will take place at The Bridge Stage – Booth #25063 from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. 

Mission 500, a charitable nonprofit organization engaging security professionals to assist families in crisis across the USA, will announce the winners of its annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Humanitarian Awards at ISC West today, Thursday, April 11 .The ceremony will take place at The Bridge - Booth #25059 from 4:00 -5:00 pm.

Washington — The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement has “continued to fulfill its mission” during the COVID-19 pandemic by performing safety and environmental inspections for offshore oil and gas operations, the Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General concludes in a report issued Sept. 21.

Washington — The Senate on Sept. 29 confirmed the nominations of Mary Lu Jordan and Timothy Baker to serve as members of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission.

Washington — OSHA has unveiled a new mission statement that “more fully reflects the agency’s purpose and the work we do to serve that purpose.”

Atlanta — Emissions from 3D printers may contain fine and ultrafine particles that can damage airway cells and negatively affect respiratory health, result of a recent study show.

Washington – Cynthia Attwood has been confirmed for her second term as a commissioner of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Adelaide, Australia — Open toilet lids, defective plumbing drains and uncovered trash cans may increase the risk of bacterial and viral disease transmission in public restrooms, according to a recent research review.

London – A new, free document from the International Lead Association aims to educate workers and managers in developing countries on how to minimize or eliminate the risks of toxic lead emissions.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency intends to significantly reduce emissions of ethylene oxide – a gas used to sterilize medical devices that’s been linked to cancer and neurological problems – under a new final rule.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency is delaying the data submission period for a final rule requiring manufacturers and importers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances to report information on PFAS use, exposures and hazards.

Washington — The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Moshe Marvit to serve on the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission.

“Cultivating the next generation of culinary innovators is both a privilege and a passion. Working on the competition with the students at IIT, sponsored by the Washington Red Raspberry Commission, has been a rewarding journey,” said Zal Taleyarkhan, Corporate Research Chef, Charlie Baggs Culinary Innovations.

Silicon Valley-based cellular agriculture company Mission Barns announced a $24M Series A to scale up its cultivated fat technology and build a pilot manufacturing plant in the Bay Area.

Receiving a FABI Award places recipients in the spotlight at the industry’s premier event—the 2025 National Restaurant Association Show, May 17-20, 2025, at McCormick Place in Chicago. Attendees will experience these standout products firsthand, positioning awardees in front of thousands of industry leaders and decision-makers eager to discover the next big trend.

The challenge is hosted by IFT and funded and initiated by the Seeding The Future Foundation. In its first three years, it has attracted over 2,400 submissions from teams of scientists, engineers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and multidisciplinary teams across non-governmental organizations (NGOs), non-profits, social enterprises, universities, research institutions as well as small and emerging for-profit enterprises.

Submissions for the 2021 Food Engineering Plant of the Year award are now open.

Wheat processor Crespel & Deiters commissioned the construction of a €18.5 million ($20.7 million) silo building at its main site in Ibbenbüren, Germany at the beginning of the year – the largest single investment in infrastructure in the company’s history. 

This initiative utilizes Ajinomoto Co.'s AjiPro-L, a lysine formulation which, in addition to aiding in the absorption of the amino acid, is cost-effective and a GHG reduction method in the market.

We invite manufacturers and distributors from residential and commercial market segments to submit their latest flooring and installation product launches for our second-annual readers' choice contest. 

Having honest and direct communication about what is and isn’t working is the difference between success and failure.

What Keurig Dr Pepper and Cuisine Solutions—and the other submissions we received for this year's Engineering Plant of the Year and Sustainable Plant of the Year award—do have in common is the level of innovation and creative solutions present throughout the plants.

Plant of the Year entrants are automatically entered into the Sustainable Plant of the Year competition. All entries are due by December 29, 2023.

What’s not to like about improving sustainability and protecting the environment while saving energy and money—and best of all, no equipment or software expenditures are necessary.

The second edition of the APE Grupo Architecture Awards kicked off on September 18 with the aim of recognizing and highlighting the work of architects and interior decorators who have used APE Grupo ceramics in their projects. November 12 is the deadline to submit projects. 

The 2023 Sustainability Report outlines Fresh Del Monte’s progress toward its long-term environmental and social goals.

The post Commission makes nearly 20 legislative recommendations to address Indiana’s behavioral health needs was curated by information for practice.

The post Review into the operational effectiveness of the Care Quality Commission: full report was curated by information for practice.

The post The Lancet Commission on self-harm was curated by information for practice.

The post The Beauty of Science 2025: Call for Submissions (Deadline for submissions is Nov 22) was curated by information for practice.

The post CfP: Thriving during turbulent times (Submission deadline: Dec 30) was curated by information for practice.

The post CfP: eXtended Reality applications in health psychology and well-being: From Research to Practice (Submission deadline: April 15) was curated by information for practice.

The post CfP: Oral health and mental health (Submission deadline: 2 April) was curated by information for practice.

The post CfP | Psychoactives: Recreational drugs repurposed as novel therapies (Submission Deadline: 27 June) was curated by information for practice.

A Portland City Council discussion that could've ended a collaborative agreement, without a backup plan in place, has been scrapped a day after the election. The move would've cost the city more than $40M. by Courtney Vaughn

Update: Nov. 6- This story has been updated to note that this week's Council discussion has been canceled.

A day after an election showing Portland City Commissioners Mingus Mapps and Rene Gonzalez losing their bids for mayor, a plan to revisit an intergovernmental agreement on homelessness between the city and Multnomah County has been canceled. 

An agenda item scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 7 to consider terminating the homeless services agreement was pulled from the agenda Wednesday afternoon, just 26 hours before it was slated to be considered by Council.

The proposal, which came from Commissioners Mapps, Gonzalez, and Dan Ryan, was a divisive move that could've upended the city's collaboration with the county on the most pressing issue impacting the region.

In a joint statement Wednesday, Gonzalez, Ryan and Mapps said pulling the plug on their plans "will allow space for the new City Council, Mayor, and County Commissioners to renegotiate the Homelessness Response Services Intergovernmental Agreement if they choose."

"The Commissioners remain steadfast in their conviction that the City of Portland, Multnomah County, and Metro can build a better system to address homeless services and pave a better path forward," the statement reads.

Three weeks ago, while presiding over a Council meeting in Mayor Ted Wheeler’s absence, Commissioner Gonzalez directed the city attorney to draft up a contract termination ordinance that would dissolve the intergovernmental agreement (IGA) dictating homelessness response and collaboration. He got a nod of support from Mapps and Ryan. 

The trio then introduced a proposal to formally end the contract between the governing agencies, citing “insufficient progress” to meet key milestones and deadlines. A contract termination proposal on Thursday’s agenda suggests the current arrangement lacks the right framework and governance structures to tackle the homelessness crisis “with the urgency, collaboration, and effectiveness required.”

Gonzalez, Ryan, and Mapps pitched the proposal as an orderly wind-down to make way for an improved agreement. But one day after an election showing Gonzalez and Mapps losing their bids for mayor, the proposal was abandoned.

The proposal drew swift backlash from the mayor and Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson. Following Portland’s Oct. 16 Council meeting, Vega Pederson issued a statement admonishing Gonzalez, Ryan, and Mapps. 

The majority of City Council says they don't want to work with the County to end homelessness.

Its clear these officials - candidates desperately vying for your vote this month - have their eyes on their own future and not our collective one.

Disappointing. pic.twitter.com/sZwkoQBiF2

— Jessica Vega Pederson (@jvegapederson) October 17, 2024

Last Friday, when the item officially appeared on a Council agenda, she spoke out again.

“The City Council deciding to end this agreement after just a few months is a short-sighted decision that will harm our community’s future,” Vega Pederson wrote November 1 in a lengthy explanatory statement released by the county. “We don’t need more talking–this community cannot afford it. That will not lead to better outcomes or fewer people on the street, and I do not believe it is a good use of taxpayer resources when we have a collaborative plan we are already putting into action. No single government can [solve] this issue alone. The County is taking action on homelessness every day and that work is best when we work in partnership.”

Vega Pederson previously called the move a “political stunt” by Gonzalez, Ryan, and Mapps just before the election. If the Council voted to end the contract, it wouldn't take effect for 90 days, when a new City Council is in place. 

Margaux Weeke, communications director for Commissioner Ryan, says the commissioner isn't opposed to working with the county under a modified arrangement, but it needs to be substantially different.

“Dan Ryan knows the players. He knows the game," Weeke says. "And he wants to expand the amount of seats at the table and pave a better path forward for homeless services."

The current IGA, which was just renewed in July, essentially lays out a division of labor, funding, and responsibilities between the city and the county with regard to homeless services and shelters. It also identifies goals and milestones for reducing the number of unsheltered people in the county. 

Vega Pederson said the county now spends all of its homeless services funds, and more, while providing clear data and public dashboards. She also noted the homelessness response plan lays out 120 action items, each assigned to a responsible party.

The county has issued data on spending and progress summaries.

If city estimates are accurate, ending the agreement would place a significant financial burden on the city as it heads into a tight fiscal year. Portland and Multnomah County currently share financial responsibility for the region’s homelessness response. 

The city would no longer have to send $32 million in general fund money to Multnomah County, but it would take on more than $40 million in costs to permanently manage the Safe Rest Villages and Temporary Alternative Shelter Sites. 

The roughly $40 million expense doesn’t include costs for wraparound services that the county currently provides at the shelter sites. The city doesn’t know how much it would cost to provide those services, and there is no alternative plan in place for maintaining services and shelter beds if the contract goes away.

Welcome Home Coalition, a nonprofit focused on affordable housing and universal access to housing, warned the termination proposal was dangerous.

“They are presenting this action without a clearly articulated new plan of how the city will serve people experiencing homelessness,” an email sent from the coalition reads. “Backing out of the Intergovernmental Agreement without an understanding of how this would impact service provision will have rippling consequences that will no doubt result in more harm to those in the most need of services.”

In a joint letter released last week, the three commissioners explained their decision to introduce the agenda item, saying the city needs to see a different way of managing services.

“As Portland City Commissioners with years of experience with the Joint Office of Homeless Services, we are resolute that we can no longer afford to maintain the status quo,” the joint letter states. “We are also united in our repeated calls for accountability, efficiency, and improved governance to enhance our homeless services. …And despite our repeated requests for clear and useful data, operational alignment for short-term shelters, and a shared vision for the homeless services system, we have faced significant challenges in implementing these necessary changes.”

Ending the IGA would further deteriorate an already strained relationship between the city and county. Mayor Wheeler previously said the working relationship between both governments had improved over the past year, but recent IGA renewals have been met with reluctance from Mapps, Ryan, and Gonzalez.

Event date: November 19, 2024
Event Time: 06:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Location:
8353 Sierra Ave.
Fontana, CA 92335

Our Sky Crew returns for a send-off for Laura Knoy’s last show as Exchange host. The Sky Crew will be at their telescopes in the wee hours prior to the show checking out the partial solar eclipse visible in our area. We discuss the goals of NASA’s newly-announced missions to our nearest planetary neighbor, Venus, the growing problem of space junk, and what to think about UFOs.

The Africa Mission Association is on a mission to help churches in Africa establish mission associations in all 54 countries from the current seven in the continent.

Angola’s Criminal Investigation Service claims that the murder of an American missionary was orchestrated by his wife in a plot involving an alleged illicit romance and financial promises. Authorities say that Jackie Shroyer, 44, enlisted the help of three Angolan men to kill her husband, Beau Shroyer, in a remote part of the country.

COVID-19 has been hard on just about every industry in New Hampshire, and renewable energy is no exception. People worried about money are putting off investing in solar panels, and health concerns have made home energy efficiency visits more complicated. But scientists say investments like these can lower energy costs, and remain a critical way to combat the other big crisis we’re facing – climate change. As part of NHPR’s new climate change reporting project, By Degrees , NHPR’s Annie Ropeik has been trying to find out what might be ahead for the renewable energy industry in the state. Morning Edition Host Rick Ganley spoke with her about what’s next.

Barely a year after the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2021, and shortly before they would jet off to Angola in southern Africa with their five children to do missionary work, Beau Shroyer and his wife Jackie Shroyer who was recently charged in connection with his Oct. 25 murder, shared their troubled paths to Jesus and what made them so willing to dive into the mission field no matter the cost.

A GoFundMe campaign seeking to help the family of murdered missionary Beau Shroyer is hoping to raise at least $15,000 to repatriate his body to the U.S. and help his five children navigate “unimaginable loss and uncertainty” as his wife, Jackie Shroyer, faces charges in Angola for allegedly masterminding a murder plot. 

Christian author and pro-life activist Ryan Bomberger has announced that his cancer is in remission three months after surgery.

Members of the Lakes Area Vineyard Church in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, where the late Beau Shroyer and his family were longtime members before moving to Lubango, Angola, to serve as missionaries in 2021, are now reeling in a complex web of emotions after learning that Beau’s wife, Jackie Shroyer, was arrested in connection with his murder in the southern African country just over a week ago.

Texas Workers' Compensation Commissioner Jeff Nelson has announced the appointment of Dan LaBruyere as DWC's new Deputy Commissioner for Compliance and Investigations, which includes Audits and Investigations, Enforcement, the Fraud Unit, and the Fraud Prosecution Unit.

Texas Workers' Compensation Commissioner Jeff Nelson has announced the appointment of Matthew Posey as DWC's new Deputy Commissioner of Operations and External Relations.

By Jeremy Landau, freelance writer.

It’s no secret that when your business begins to grow, you will need to add staff to accommodate the increased sales and other demands on store operations. This tends to become more complex as your business gets larger, and staff roles and responsibilities may need to be diversified and identified, so everyone knows what they should be doing.

The correct determination of X-ray transmission at X-ray nanoprobes equipped with small beamstops for small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering collection is an unsolved problem with huge implications for data correction pipelines. We present a cost-effective solution to detect the transmission via the X-ray fluorescence of the beamstop with an avalanche photodiode.

Quantitative X-ray diffraction approaches require careful correction for sample transmission. Though this is a routine task at state-of-the-art small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) or diffraction beamlines at synchrotron facilities, the transmission signal cannot be recorded concurrently with SAXS/WAXS when using the small, sub-millimetre beamstops at many X-ray nanoprobes during SAXS/WAXS experiments due to the divergence-limited size of the beamstop and the generally tight geometry. This is detrimental to the data quality and often the only solution is to re-scan the sample with a PIN photodiode as a detector to obtain transmission values. In this manuscript, we present a simple yet effective solution to this problem in the form of a small beamstop with an inlaid metal target for optimal fluorescence yield. This fluorescence can be detected with a high-sensitivity avalanche photodiode and provides a linear counter to determine the sample transmission.