It's generally against the law for most employers to discriminate against job applicants on the basis of race and national origin, among other characteristics. But these same employers routinely refuse to even consider hiring someone with a criminal record. The applicant with a record goes to the bottom of the pile - or doesn't get into the pile at all. And it often doesn't matter the type of conviction. Employers don't necessarily evaluate the difference between being convicted for a traffic offense like DUI versus a violent crime like first-degree murder. In other ...

Domestic violence is a scourge that affects an estimated 1.3 million Americans every year. Yet, while domestic violence is certainly a serious problem, outrage surrounding the issue may cloud public discourse; it can be easily forgotten that alleged perpetrators are innocent until proven guilty, with all the rights due anyone accused of wrongdoing. In Florida and other states, "anti-strangulation" laws have been introduced in order to combat what is seen as a relatively common and particularly harmful form of partner abuse. While the intentions behind these ...

NASA satellites are providing data on a broad area of low pressure in the south-central Gulf of Mexico that has a medium chance for development into a tropical depression. Infrared data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument that flies onboard NASA's Aqua satellite is helping forecasters at the National Hurricane Center understand what's happening with the low pressure area. In an image captured on June 21 at 0729 (3:29 a.m. EDT), the center of the low pressure area appears to be near the western tip of Cuba near 22 North and 85 West. The strongest thunderstorms ...

For big-ticket purchases or shopping on the Internet -- and even smaller purchases made on quick runs to the store or filling up the gas tank -- credit cards are convenient. Carrying cash to make these purchases is often not feasible. Along with the convenience, there are other benefits of using credit cards, such as the ability to pay off purchases over time or receiving rewards for using the card (like airline miles or cash back). Yet, the same convenience and benefits offered by credit cards can also be the things that get consumers in financial trouble. Credit-Card ...

The Obama administration has proposed regulations which would require companies that drill oil and natural gas using hydraulic fracturing on public and Indian lands to disclose the chemicals used in the process. The proposal would also set guidelines for wastewater disposal and well construction. Though hydraulic fracturing has been a boon for drilling companies, the practice has had a questionable impact on drilling sites' surrounding residents and the environment, in part due to the hazardous chemicals used in the process. What is Hydraulic Fracturing? Hydraulic ...

When a person is injured or killed in an accident with a drunk driver, the drunk driver's car insurance policy and other coverage or assets are almost always insufficient to pay the full amount of damages. A car accident lawyer can explain how in some cases in North Carolina, a personal injury victim or the estate of someone wrongfully killed may be able to seek compensation from the store, bar or restaurant that provided alcohol to the intoxicated driver. North Carolina law regarding the regulation of liquor sales allows an injured person to sue stores, bars, restaurants ...

Tropical Storm Talim has weakened overnight due to stronger wind shear and land interaction and is now a depression. NASA satellite data from June 21 revealed that the thunderstorms that make up the tropical cyclone are scattered and disorganized. NASA's Aqua satellite Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument captured an infrared image of Tropical Depression Talim on June 21 at 3:29 a.m. EDT. The imagery showed several areas of strong thunderstorms, but they're now scattered in nature as a result of the two factors. As Talim moved over Taiwan and interacted with ...

It's a cliche to say the only constant is change. But the pace of life is undeniably fast in modern times, and a lot can happen in a short period of time. This is why it's important to review your estate plan periodically and update it as needed. An event such as a divorce, marriage or the birth of a child may affect even the most carefully thought-out plans. This piece will discuss when and how to review and revise your estate plan so that it continues to express your wishes, even as the specific circumstances of your life continue to evolve. Getting Started With ...

In November of 2012, Americans will take to the polls to decide elections for national and state offices, and Washingtonians will also determine if the state will legalize and regulate the recreational use of marijuana through Initiative 502. The initiative would make it legal for people 21-years-old and up to possess up to one ounce of marijuana bought from state-licensed stores. Like alcohol, the state Liquor Control Board would regulate the sale of marijuana. I-502 is receiving a broad range of support, including from several current and former government employees. ...

Boulder, Colo., USA – New GSA Bulletin postings include studies of the geomorphic impact of 19th-century placer mining along the Fraser River, British Columbia; seafloor images around Ross Island, obtained by the Swedish research vessel Oden from 2007-2011; a foray into the fossil record of early Tertiary mammal evolution in Africa via magnetostratigraphic analyses of exposed fossiliferous sequences in Algeria; and a new contribution to the growing volume of published geoscience research for southeastern Mongolia. GSA Bulletin articles published ahead of print are online ...

In February of 2012, the Ohio Supreme Court held that particular application of a federal sex offender law is unconstitutional. Specifically, the court determined that the law cannot retroactively apply to sex offenders who completed their sentences prior to July 1, 1997. Brief History of Ohio Sex Offender Registry Law Two laws were considered in the Ohio Supreme Court's recent ruling. Megan's Law is state legislation which established a statewide sex offender registry; it was enacted July 1, 1997. As written, Megan's Law requires nearly all persons convicted of sex ...

MAYWOOD, Ill. - A device used to prevent incontinence in women who undergo a common pelvic-floor surgery reduces symptoms but increases side effects in these patients. These findings were published in the latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Women in this study underwent surgery for pelvic organ prolapse. Prolapse occurs when the pelvic organs fall and cause the vaginal wall to protrude outside of the body. About 1 in 5 women will undergo this surgery in her lifetime. Those who undergo surgery for this disorder are at risk for urinary incontinence following ...

RENO, Nev. – Leading muscular dystrophy researcher Dean Burkin, of the University of Nevada School of Medicine summarizes the impact of a new protein therapeutic, MG53, for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy in an article published this week in Science Translational Medicine. "This is a focus article in which we summarize the impact of MG53 protein therapy as a treatment option and discuss the increasing number of new protein therapeutics being developed for the muscular dystrophies, including laminin-111 developed in our laboratory," Burkin, a pharmacological ...

In recent months, there has been a veritable plethora of discussion in the media about the dangers of distracted driving. Although distracted driving is a proven danger to motorists, a new study suggests that it may not be as significant of a cause of car accidents as it was once thought. The study found that a technological feature that has been on vehicles almost since their inception -- turn signals -- is to blame for more collisions than being distracted by newfangled technology. According to research conducted by the Society of Automotive Engineers, drivers fail ...

Safer coal mining operations in West Virginia have been a renewed priority for many lawmakers since the Upper Big Branch explosion two years ago. That includes House Speaker Rick Thompson, whose father long ago died in a coal mining roof fall accident. A new coal mining safety bill sponsored by Speaker Thompson passed both chambers by narrow margins this session, and was signed by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin in March. A range of new measures will take effect in June, including: - Establishment of an anonymous mining safety tip line - Increases in fines and penalties for ...

What is the overall effect on safety when cameras are installed at intersections to detect traffic violations? Red-light cameras, as they are commonly known, have been controversial in the Chicago area and in several other cities across the country. Their advocates present them on public safety grounds, as a way to prevent people from running red lights by using technology to automatically issue a ticket to violators. There are several concerns, however, that accompany use of this tactic. Civil liberties proponents argue that the specter of Big Brother lurks in letting ...

How much is a stream worth? Can we put a dollar value on a wetland? Some conservation proponents have moved to establish the economic value of "ecosystem services," the benefits that nature provides to people. The approach translates the beauty and utility of a wetland into pounds of phosphorus removed from agricultural runoff, Joules of heat pulled out of urban wastewater, and inches of floodwater absorbed upstream of riverside communities. The idea of trading ecosystem services has surged in popularity since the 2005 United Nations Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. But ...

When most people are admitted to the hospital, their primary concern is getting better and going home. To that end, a lot of people worry that their surgeries will not be successful, or that their doctors will make a diagnostic mistake or medication error. Most aren't aware that a silent killer is lurking in the background. Unfortunately, hospital-based infections are a huge problem in American medical facilities. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1 in 20 hospitalized patients will develop an infection during their stay. ...

Engineers at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) have identified a catalyst that provides the same level of efficiency in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) as the currently used platinum catalyst, but at 5% of the cost. Since more than 60% of the investment in making microbial fuel cells is the cost of platinum, the discovery may lead to much more affordable energy conversion and storage devices. The material – nitrogen-enriched iron-carbon nanorods – also has the potential to replace the platinum catalyst used in hydrogen-producing microbial electrolysis cells (MECs), ...

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has ruled that creditors must give repossessed property back - even though it was repossessed legally - after debtors file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy. The Facts In the case, the General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC) repossessed Theodore Thompson's 2003 Chevy Impala after he fell behind on payments. On February 5, 2008, soon after repo men took the car, Thompson filed Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Thompson asked GMAC to return the car but GMAC refused. Bankruptcy Court Decides Against Thompson The bankruptcy court, ...

ZnSnP2, an absorber material for solar cells, transitions from an ordered to a disordered structure at high temperatures. Researchers from University College London and the University of Bath have proposed taking advantage of this structural change to design high-efficiency solar absorbers. The team used theoretical calculations to investigate the electronic structure of both phases, and predicted a significant difference in the bandgap between the ordered and fully disordered materials. Experimental measurements of the bandgap of ZnSnP2 are consistent with predictions ...

Sea waves are a renewable and inexhaustible resource found in abundance across the planet. But efficiently converting sea wave motion into electrical energy has been challenging, in part due to the difficulty of compensating for the relatively low speeds and irregular movements of ocean waves. Researchers from the University of Beira Interior in Portugal have designed and simulated a new energy conversion device that addresses both these challenges (i.e., low speed and irregular movements). Their proposed device consists of a floating body attached to a new type of conversion ...

The newly renovated Comfort Inn & Conference Center Northeast, a leading north Atlanta hotel, named the official sponsor of the Paul Murphy World Title Belt Tournament of Champions. The event will take place August 31 - September 2, 2012 at the Forest Fleming Arena in Doraville, GA. Sanctioned under the Georgia Amateur Boxing Association, the tournament is open to boxers of all ages and the winner of each weight class division(s) will win a Title belt. Registration is required; contact Sugar Bert Boxing Academy for details. Conveniently located less than 1 mile ...

A team of researchers from Peking University in Beijing, China, and Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, has demonstrated that carbon nanotube-based integrated circuits can work under a supply voltage much lower than that used in conventional silicon integrated circuits. Low supply voltage circuits produce less heat, which is a key limiting factor for increased circuit density. Carbon-based electronics have attracted attention mostly because of their speed. The new research shows that carbon nanotube integrated circuits could also offer the promise of extending Moore's ...

Tampa, FL (June 22, 2012) – Growth factors shown to cure Alzheimer's disease in a mouse model and administered to cancer patients as part of their treatment regimen were linked to significant improvements in the patients' cognitive function following stem cell transplantation, a preliminary clinical study reports. The findings by researchers at the USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Institute and Moffitt Cancer Center are reported online in Brain Disorders & Therapy. The retrospective study showed that cancer patients treated with granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating ...