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Also worth noting is that the minimum wage for workers on federal service contracts is increasing to $10.15 per hour in January 2016. A 2014 executive order by President Obama raised it to $10.10 and he promised that the wage would be adjusted annually to keep up with inflation.

Fourteen States Raising Minimum Wage in January

The minimums in Massachusetts and California will be $10 per hour. Thanks to an executive order, the minimum wage for workers on federal service contracts also is rising in January 2016 to $10.15 per hour.

WHO Declares Ebola Transmission Over in Guinea

"The coming months will be absolutely critical," said Dr. Bruce Aylward, special representative of the director-general for the Ebola response at WHO. "WHO will maintain surveillance and outbreak response teams in the three countries through 2016."

Worst Flooding in 20 Years Hits St. Louis Area

The U.S. Coast Guard closed a portion of the Mississippi River near St. Louis to traffic Dec. 29 because of high water, with the river expected to crest there Dec. 30.

The letter report rleased Dec. 29, 2015, outlines the systematic review that will be made of interventions to decrease the risk of Alzheimer

Letter Report Outlines Review of Interventions to Decrease Dementia Risk

A full report from the National Academies' expert committee, including recommendations, is expected to be finished in 2017.

Sea Gem Disaster Victims Remembered, Highlighting Offshore Safety

An oil rig based in the North Sea, it capsized and sank Dec. 27, 1965, while being moved to a new location, killing 13 workers and injuring five others.

UK Companies Fined $1.9 Million for Industrial Accident

Employee John Altoft, 29, fell 30 feet from a scaffold in January 2012 after being struck by falling debris inside an industrial tower. Another worker was seriously injured.

FAA and the USDA maintain a database of all reported wildlife strikes to U.S. civil aircraft and foreign carriers experiencing strikes in the United States.

FAA Calls Attention to Helicopter Bird Strikes

According to an Associated Press story, there were 204 reported helicopter bird strikes during 2013, a 68 percent increase from 2009's 121 reports and an increase of more than 700 percent since the early 2000s, according to FAA.

Havertown Construction Company Fined $70,000 by OSHA

DMAC Construction LLC willfully exposed workers to falls up to 25 feet, according to OSHA.



Enterprise-Wide Abatement Case Heading to Trial

Administrative Law Judge Carol A. Baumerich ruled that the OSH Act's provision authorizing the remedy of "other appropriate relief" allows the department's claim for enterprise-wide abatement at all locations where such violations exist to proceed to trial.

All batteries, regardless of the type, discharge over time and need to be replaced or recharged.

SCA Signs Often Missed, Study Finds

The authors reported that warning symptoms frequently occur prior to sudden cardiac arrest, but most are ignored.

DEA Eases Requirements for Cannabidiol Trials

Now, a previously registered cannabidiol clinical researcher who is granted a waiver can readily modify his or her protocol and continue the research seamlessly.

OSHA, IEC Renew Alliance for Five Years

The alliance has developed fact sheets, toolbox talks, and guidance documents on updated OSHA electrical standards; hazards involved in working on or near energized electrical conductors and circuit parts; general safety guidance to help prevent fall injuries; and ladder safety.

NIST

NIST to Fund Manufacturing Innovation Institutes

Up to two will be funded with as much as $70 million each. This time, NIST hasn't defined an area of focus; the agency says it is open to receiving proposals in any topic of interest to industry, particularly those relevant to manufacturing robotics and biopharmaceutical manufacturing.

Airbus Acquiring Flight Operations Company

Navtech serves more than 400 aircraft operators and aviation services customers worldwide with a suite of products that include electronic flight bag solutions, aeronautical charts, navigation data solutions, flight planning, aircraft performance, and crew planning solutions.

Border agents in Scotland have confiscated more than 15,000 hoverboards that have been tested and found to be unsafe, authorities said Dec. 3.

PHMSA Issues Alert on Shipping Hoverboards

PHMSA investigated 32 cargo containers and found that more than 80 percent of the shippers were unable to produce valid test reports to prove the lithium batteries had been properly manufactured and packaged to maintain integrity during transport.

Pace of Takata Airbag Recall Repairs Increasing

Three automakers have expanded their Takata passenger inflator recalls to include more model years or additional vehicles and/or inflators from model years affected by existing recalls, according to the NHTSA announcement, which said the expansions resulted from Takata's ballistic testing conducted in recent months.

Regular mail deliveries will take place on Dec. 24, 2015, and mail will be picked up from blue USPS boxes, according to the U.S. Postal Service.

There's Still Time for Last-Minute Mailing (and Avoiding Scammers)

As everyone should be aware, scammers and crooks aren't taking a holiday this week. A holiday season alert from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service urges the public to beware of bogus emails being sent to postal customers.

Study Confirms Lower Heart Failure Risk for Higher Cardiovascular Scores

The study found for each one-point higher cardiovascular health score, there was a 23 percent lower risk of developing heart failure. Those scoring in the middle third cut their risk of heart failure nearly in half versus those in the bottom third, while those in the top third reduced their risk even further.

American Red Cross Tallies Costs of 2015 Disaster Response

The cost of the four largest Red Cross disaster responses in the United States this year is more than $30 million; these include flooding in Texas and South Carolina, wildfires in California, and Typhoon Soudelor.

Zika Virus Cases Prompt Travel Advisories

The Public Health Agency of Canada and CDC are now urging travelers to protect themselves from mosquito bites when traveling to areas where Zika virus is circulating.

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