The Florida Department of Children and Families has been given 90 days to figure out how to improve care for foster kids after a study by a federal agency found it "underperforming in critical areas."
The Tampa Bay Times reported that a study "compiled by the Children's Bureau", titled "Children and Family Service Review", found in more than half of the 80 foster care cases handled by DCF from April 1 to September 30, children were removed "from homes without first providing appropriate services and were lax in following safety plans."
The Children's Bureau, which rated DCF's performance as "needing improvement in 11 of 14 categories," is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Click here to read the article in its entirety.
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Florida Polytechnic Has First Grad Class
Florida Polytechnic University held its first commencement Tuesday afternoon for fifteen students. The school, which has yet to achieve accreditation, splintered off from the University of South Florida in 2012.
The school is "Florida's first university dedicated to science, technology, engineering and math," according to the Tampa Bay Times.
The students were offered free tuition, while others saw a "chance to shape a new school."
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools was expected to decide on Florida Polytech's accreditation last year, but couldn't get all the information it needed. While a SACS campus visit is scheduled for February, "a final decision likely won't be made until December 2017." However, accreditation would cover Tuesday's group.
To view the article ("Florida Polytechnic celebrates an early milestone as first grads turn their tassels") in its entirety, click here.
The school is "Florida's first university dedicated to science, technology, engineering and math," according to the Tampa Bay Times.
The students were offered free tuition, while others saw a "chance to shape a new school."
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools was expected to decide on Florida Polytech's accreditation last year, but couldn't get all the information it needed. While a SACS campus visit is scheduled for February, "a final decision likely won't be made until December 2017." However, accreditation would cover Tuesday's group.
To view the article ("Florida Polytechnic celebrates an early milestone as first grads turn their tassels") in its entirety, click here.
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Trump To Be 45th President
Donald Trump has become the United States' president-elect. After an especially contentious election, which became closer than many had anticipated, Trump reached the necessary 240 electoral votes needed to pull off a surprise victory.
According to an Associated Press article, while Hilary Clinton spent month warning that "Trump was unfit and unqualified to be president," she was unable to sell many voters on her candidacy, while facing "questions about her honesty and trustworthiness."
Exit polls showed that while women supported Clinton over Trump by a double digit margin, men were "significantly more likely" to vote for Trump. The discrepancy between white, black and Hispanic voters was also significant: Trump was backed by more than half the white voters, while two-thirds of the Hispanic voters and 90 percent of black voters cast their ballots for Clinton.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press also reported that amendments for marijuana use, gun control, and minimum wage hikes were winners in the polls. Massachusetts, Nevada and California voters approved legalizing recreational use of marijuana, while Florida, North Dakota and Arkansas "voted to allow pot for medical purposes." Arizona voters rejected recreational use of marijuana.
Gun control was also on the ballot in California, Maine, Nevada and Washington state. In Maine, Colorado and Arizona, a minimum wage of $12 and hour was approved, to be implemented in phases by 2020. In Washington state, where the current minimum wage stands at $9.47 an hour, the new minimum wage of $13.50 an hour was approved. That also would be phased in by 2020. The current federal minimum wage stands at $7.25 an hour.
To read the two AP stories in their entirety, click here and here.
According to an Associated Press article, while Hilary Clinton spent month warning that "Trump was unfit and unqualified to be president," she was unable to sell many voters on her candidacy, while facing "questions about her honesty and trustworthiness."
Exit polls showed that while women supported Clinton over Trump by a double digit margin, men were "significantly more likely" to vote for Trump. The discrepancy between white, black and Hispanic voters was also significant: Trump was backed by more than half the white voters, while two-thirds of the Hispanic voters and 90 percent of black voters cast their ballots for Clinton.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press also reported that amendments for marijuana use, gun control, and minimum wage hikes were winners in the polls. Massachusetts, Nevada and California voters approved legalizing recreational use of marijuana, while Florida, North Dakota and Arkansas "voted to allow pot for medical purposes." Arizona voters rejected recreational use of marijuana.
Gun control was also on the ballot in California, Maine, Nevada and Washington state. In Maine, Colorado and Arizona, a minimum wage of $12 and hour was approved, to be implemented in phases by 2020. In Washington state, where the current minimum wage stands at $9.47 an hour, the new minimum wage of $13.50 an hour was approved. That also would be phased in by 2020. The current federal minimum wage stands at $7.25 an hour.
To read the two AP stories in their entirety, click here and here.
Monday, September 5, 2016
USPS 'Boldly Launches' ‘Star Trek™’ Stamps
The United States Postal Service (USPS) dedicated the new Star Trek Forever stamps, "nearly 50 years to the day" of Star Trek's original airing. The September 2 first-day-of-issue ceremony of the three-day celebration was "expected to draw thousands of Star Trek fans," according to the USPS press release.
The stamps are sold in sheets of 20 stamps, and have four digital illustrations inspired by the iconic show. These include:
"The Starship Enterprise inside the outline of a Starfleet insignia against a gold background;
"The silhouette of a crewman in a transporter against a red background;
"The silhouette of the Enterprise from above against a green background; and,
"The Enterprise inside the outline of the Vulcan salute (Spock’s iconic hand gesture) against a blue background."
The words "Space...the Final Frontier" appears at the bottom of the stamp sheet.
To view the press release, click here.
The stamps are sold in sheets of 20 stamps, and have four digital illustrations inspired by the iconic show. These include:
"The Starship Enterprise inside the outline of a Starfleet insignia against a gold background;
"The silhouette of a crewman in a transporter against a red background;
"The silhouette of the Enterprise from above against a green background; and,
"The Enterprise inside the outline of the Vulcan salute (Spock’s iconic hand gesture) against a blue background."
The words "Space...the Final Frontier" appears at the bottom of the stamp sheet.
To view the press release, click here.
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Fluoride Potentially Harmful To Thyroid, Body and Brain
Many of us think of fluoride as something occasionally put into water to protect our teeth. But there are potential risks from drinking fluoridated water, according an article in The Diabetic News.
In an article titled "Fluoride Risks to Diabetics, Kidney Patients and Thyroid Function", Dr. Mark Hyman stated, “[W]ater fluoridation can potentially harm thyroid function, the body and the brain.” He goes on to say that he supports "federal investigative hearings looking into why our cities and towns are allowed to continue to add fluoride to public water sources…”
The article goes on to state that “key national figures such as Erin Brockovich, Lois Gibbs, and Alveda King have called for Fluoridegate scandal hearings...”
Erin Brockovich is known for her fight against PG&E, as shown in the Julia Roberts movie titled Erin Brockovich. Lois Gibbs was instrumental in warning people living in Love Canal about the pollutants in the ground that was poisoning them. Alveda King is an activist, former Georgia state representative, and niece of the late Martin Luther King, Jr.
The article states that fluoridated water can be potentially harmful to certain groups, such as diabetics and patients with kidney disease.”
Daniel G. Stockin, MPH, who has worked to end fluoridation, said, “The National Research Council of the National Academies of Sciences says that kidney patients, diabetics, seniors, and other groups are ‘susceptible subpopulations’ especially vulnerable to harm from ingested fluorides.”
To read the article in its entirety, click here.
In an article titled "Fluoride Risks to Diabetics, Kidney Patients and Thyroid Function", Dr. Mark Hyman stated, “[W]ater fluoridation can potentially harm thyroid function, the body and the brain.” He goes on to say that he supports "federal investigative hearings looking into why our cities and towns are allowed to continue to add fluoride to public water sources…”
The article goes on to state that “key national figures such as Erin Brockovich, Lois Gibbs, and Alveda King have called for Fluoridegate scandal hearings...”
Erin Brockovich is known for her fight against PG&E, as shown in the Julia Roberts movie titled Erin Brockovich. Lois Gibbs was instrumental in warning people living in Love Canal about the pollutants in the ground that was poisoning them. Alveda King is an activist, former Georgia state representative, and niece of the late Martin Luther King, Jr.
The article states that fluoridated water can be potentially harmful to certain groups, such as diabetics and patients with kidney disease.”
Daniel G. Stockin, MPH, who has worked to end fluoridation, said, “The National Research Council of the National Academies of Sciences says that kidney patients, diabetics, seniors, and other groups are ‘susceptible subpopulations’ especially vulnerable to harm from ingested fluorides.”
To read the article in its entirety, click here.
Monday, May 23, 2016
New Overtime Rules To Affect Florida Workplace
New overtimes rules unveiled by the U.S. Department of Labor will impact an estimated 331,000 Florida workers, according to an article in the Tampa Bay Times. That number is out of 4.2 million workers nationwide affected by the new ruling.
The rule "doubles the eligible salary threshold for overtime from $23,660 per year to $47,476." The article ("New Labor Department overtime rule expected to jolt Florida workplace") states that businesses will have until December to comply with the Department of Labor's ruling. Employees who have made $23,660 or less a year have qualified for time-and-a-half when working more than 40 hours a week. The ruling now makes it that employees making the higher amount or less will qualify.
To read the article in its entirety, click here.
The rule "doubles the eligible salary threshold for overtime from $23,660 per year to $47,476." The article ("New Labor Department overtime rule expected to jolt Florida workplace") states that businesses will have until December to comply with the Department of Labor's ruling. Employees who have made $23,660 or less a year have qualified for time-and-a-half when working more than 40 hours a week. The ruling now makes it that employees making the higher amount or less will qualify.
To read the article in its entirety, click here.
Saturday, April 9, 2016
Philip Scheffler, 'Guiding Force Behind 60 Minutes,' Dies at 85
Philip Scheffler, who began as a copy boy for "Douglas Edwards with the News" and later became CBS New's first television street reporter, died Thursday. He was 85.
Scheffler later became the executive editor of 60 Minutes, guiding it "for more than two decades," according to Jeff Fager, 60 Minutes' executive producer, TVNewser reports.
The New York Times article ("Longtime CBS News Executive Scheffler Dies") stated that Scheffler died at a Manhattan hospital. CBS News did not have a cause of death.
To read more, click here for the New York Times article, or here for TV Newser's article.
Scheffler later became the executive editor of 60 Minutes, guiding it "for more than two decades," according to Jeff Fager, 60 Minutes' executive producer, TVNewser reports.
The New York Times article ("Longtime CBS News Executive Scheffler Dies") stated that Scheffler died at a Manhattan hospital. CBS News did not have a cause of death.
To read more, click here for the New York Times article, or here for TV Newser's article.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)