Small Rural School Districts and Disadvantaged Communities Face Unfair Levies and School Bonds
The Wahkiakum school district in southwest Washington argues that the levying system leaves rural school children with crumbling, outdated buildings. The small community of about 2,000 residents has appealed to the states Supreme Court and is waiting for the attorney general’s office to respond. In 2012, the state Supreme Court favored the McLeary case, in… Read more
Diversity in Clean Energy: Equitable Energy Transition
The recent passing of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was greeted with jubilation from many areas, not least the lawmakers and advocates that worked tirelessly to push it through. Among those celebrating are historically excluded groups (HEGs) and their advocates who have worked to deliver clean energy solutions to those who were previously unable to… Read more
Pool Maintenance Tips
After basking in the sun and cooling off in your refreshing pool, maintenance of said pool can sometimes be an afterthought. Neglecting to maintain your pool properly can result in thousands of dollars worth of damages and eventually cause your pool to be uninhabitable. To avoid ultimate disaster and continued enjoyment of your pool, check… Read more
Solar Growing for American Utility Grid
According to the 2021 Utility-Scale Solar Report published by the Lawrence Berkeley National Library, large solar installations delivering energy to the electrical grid are on the upswing. During 2020, the sector boasted 14 gigawatts (GW), equivalent to 73 percent of all new solar power. Solar power was the second-largest source of electricity-generating capacity additions in… Read more
Ransomware Attack Forces Howard University to Cancel Classes
Classes at Howard University were canceled due to a ransomware attack as “Unusual activity on the university’s network” sparked an IT investigation. The university’s network was paused by the Enterprise Technology Services department while they examined the security breach. Only essential employees were permitted on campus, and Wi-Fi was shut down until the university could… Read more
Survey Shows Water Use Surge During Pandemic
According to a study conducted by J.D. Power, customer satisfaction with water services remained steady through the pandemic despite skyrocketing usage. The U.S. Water Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study is now in its sixth year and rates contentment among suburban consumers of 90 water utilities that supply water to no less than 400,000 customers. The… Read more
Four Ways Radiology Can Reduce Its Climate Change Impact
Typically, climate change (a.k.a. global warming) is associated with planes, trains, and automobiles using fossil fuels, hazy skies, and radioactive plants pushing clouds into the atmosphere. However, the radiologic industry plays a more significant role than you might imagine, and industry leaders say the time to reduce that impact is now. Published in the Journal… Read more
FDA Authorizes New Device That Protects Athletes’ Brains During Impact
The United States Food and Drug Administration recently authorized a novel product that recent Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) shows might protect athletes’ brains from traumatic injury. A c-shaped, non-invasive device dubbed the “Q-Collar” goes around the neck and applies compression, which increases blood volume, therefore reducing brain movement. Several FDA studies proved the effectiveness… Read more
Will Medicare Cover the COVID-19 Vaccine?
As new COVID-19 vaccines are approved in the United States, health departments in all 50 states received their first round of vaccines. Frontline healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities were the first ones to receive doses. Medicare will cover the coronavirus vaccine, thanks to the CARES Act, which was passed by Congress in… Read more
Researchers Better Understand Sleep Patterns with MRI
Stages of deep sleep can significantly change our consciousness, just as it does in a coma or under anesthesia. Scientists have hypothesized that brain activity declines when we sleep, using research conducted with electroencephalography (EEG), a process that uses electrodes placed along a patient’s scalp to measure brain activity. Anjali Tarun, a doctoral assistant at… Read more