Sherman A1
Sherman A1's JournalDaylight Saving Time: More Trouble Than It's Worth?
If you’re feeling tired due to the daylight savings shift, you’re not alone. One researcher at Washington University says the time change may cause more problems than it solves.
Erik Herzog studies the biological clocks of mammals. He says several studies have shown that daylight saving is hard on us humans, especially the “spring ahead.” Effects like sleep deprivation result in increased traffic accidents for three days after the time change.
Herzog says the effect in the fall is the opposite – there are fewer traffic accidents – but that effect lasts only one day.
In addition, there’s an increase in the number of heart attacks for two days following the switch to daylight saving time.
http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/daylight-saving-time-more-trouble-its-worth
Plastic bags ban broadening gaining steam in Chicago
March 8, 2014 (CHICAGO) -- Last year, opposition from Mayor Rahm Emanuel derailed a San Francisco-style environmental crackdown that would have prohibited Chicago retailers with more than 5,000 square feet of floor space from putting their merchandise in plastic bags.
Now, the sponsor of that ordinance is making it even tougher, by including small retailers, and claiming he has the votes to approve the ban-the-bag ordinance, no matter what the mayor says, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting.
Ald. "Proco" Joe Moreno (1st) said the small-store exemption was dropped to attract more votes for the new version he introduced at Wednesday's City Council meeting.
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?id=9459339
How cellphone photos of a hotel room might combat sex trafficking
The photographs on a popular online site advertising “escort” services showed three young women selling their bodies, posed against floor-to-ceiling windows of the same high-rise hotel.
One of them perched provocatively atop a desk.
Hotel rooms by their very nature often feel anonymous, but the view beyond the women in the windows was unmistakable: the landmark green dome of St. Louis’ Old Courthouse adjacent to the easily identifiable facade of another downtown building.
Photographs of the hotel’s interior posted by guests on an online travel site confirmed that the style of desk on which the one young woman was posed matched the desks used inside Crowne Plaza guest rooms in St. Louis.
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/02210dd3-f367-562f-b2f4-63a25e5250b7.html
Koster's Egg Suit Against California Gets Cracking, Now Has Five Allied States
Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster’s effort to protect Missouri's egg producers from stiffer California mandates is getting support from five states that have joined Missouri’s suit.
The five states are Nebraska, Alabama, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Iowa. Combined with Missouri, the six states “produce more than 20 billion eggs per year, 10 percent of which are sold to California consumers,” Koster’s staff said.
Several Missouri farm groups have been in an uproar over California's restrictions, which go into effect in 2015. They claim the stiffer rules would unnecessarily increase costs, and lead to higher egg prices for consumers.
Koster filed suit several weeks ago on behalf of Missouri egg producers. The suit, filed in federal court, argues that California’s restrictions violate the U.S. Constitution’s “commerce clause,’’ which bars any individual state from enacting laws that deal with conduct “wholly outside its borders.”
http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/kosters-egg-suit-against-california-gets-cracking-now-has-five-allied-states
Chain Of Command To Be Kept Involved In Military Sexual Assault Cases
U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill,D-Mo., arguably won her most significant victory since her 2012 re-election with Thursday’s Senate vote in favor of her approach to fighting sexual assaults in the military.
Most significantly, her approach would keep sexual assault cases within the military chain of command, although she would restrict commanders’ powers to overturn jury verdicts in sexual assault cases and bar commanders from substituting lesser charges.
The Senate first narrowly rejected a rival plan, sponsored by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y, to remove sexual assault and other serious crimes from military commanders’ oversight. Instead Gillibrand would have shifted the power to refer cases for prosecution, including courts-martial, to military lawyers. While the Senate voted 55-45 on a procedural vote for Gillibrand’s approach, it was still five votes short.
The Senate then voted overwhelmingly for a narrower measure sponsored by McCaskill, which would bar the use of the “good soldier’’ defense in assault cases, unless the defendant’s character was key in connection with the alleged crime. Months ago, the Senate approved most of McCaskill’s major changes.
http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/chain-command-be-kept-involved-military-sexual-assault-cases
Shaw Nature Reserve and residents fighting proposed concrete plant
GRAY SUMMIT, MO (KTVI)– The Missouri Botanical Garden Shaw Nature Reserve, along with area residents, is fighting a proposed concrete plant in Franklin County. Sixty thousand people a year visit the nature reserve to bird watch, enjoy the beauty, the peace and quiet, but that peacefulness may be at stake if a concrete plant is built within 600 feet of the reserve.
John Behrer is in charge of the Shaw Nature Reserve. He said, “Noise, not just the machinery and the conveyor belts but trucks backing up with those alarms on the back and the loaders and all that kind of stuff.” He said in his 36 years working at the Shaw Nature Reserve they’ve never opposed nearby development until now.
Roger Landvatter owns the concrete company Landvatter Ready Mix. He wants to build the plant. He said noise is not a problem at his Kirkwood plant and it won’t be at the new one either. Landvatter said, “Now with the new modern equipment the regulations the noise is down.”
Nearby homeowners are up in arms. They’re also worried about their health and the chemicals in the dust they could breathe in from the manufacturing of concrete. Tom Mitchell opposes plant, his mother lives nearby. “It really should go into an industrial area an area more suitable for concrete plants,” he said.
http://kplr11.com/2014/03/06/shaw-nature-reserve-and-residents-fighting-proposed-concrete-plant/
Nixon Announces Trade Accord Between Missouri and Quebec
Speaking to reporters from Toronto on Wednesday, Gov. Jay Nixon said Missouri and Quebec signed an agreement to boost trade over the next four years by 15 percent. The agreement, according to a press release from Nixon’s office, was signed by Québec Minister of Industrial Policy Élaine Zakaïb and Missouri director of Economic Development Mike Downing.
The memorandum, Nixon said, means that Missouri will export around $3.2 billion in goods and services to the Canadian province. And he specifically says the agreement will benefit Missouri’s agricultural, manufacturing and life sciences industries.
“Our strategy in engaging with governments on a subnational and provincial level continues to pay real dividends by unlocking opportunities for Missouri products and the outstanding businesses and partners that make them,” said Nixon in a conference call. “This is a very promising start to what continues to be a very productive mission.”
Nixon said Canada is Missouri’s biggest export market, adding that the country purchased around $4 billion in Missouri goods last year. He went on to say that the provinces of Ontario and Quebec are big consumers of Missouri goods.
http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/nixon-announces-trade-accord-between-missouri-and-quebec
Defense Budget Excludes Boeing's F/A-18 Fighter Jets
Boeing’s F/A-18 fighter jet built in Hazelwood was left out of the Pentagon’s $496 billion proposed budget for fiscal year 2015.
With no additional funding for the Super Hornet and Growler jets the production lines are expected to shut down by the end of 2016, putting thousands of jobs at risk.
Boeing official said in a statement that they were disappointed.
The company called the aircraft "the backbone of the Navy’s carrier air wings" and said it would work with Congress to add funding for the jets.
http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/defense-budget-excludes-boeings-fa-18-fighter-jets
Farmington teachers complain after active shooter training gets too intense
(KMOV) – Teachers call for help after getting shot at during an active shooter training session at a Farmington school.
Teachers at Farmington High school complained that the training on what to do if a gunman is in the school was too realistic after they were shot at with air soft guns.
School officials say the training had to be stressful and realistic so teachers will know how to react in a case of stressful real-life situation.
The National Education Association is critical of this type of training to teach students, teachers how to escape or fight back rather than hide in these situations. The school said it gave teachers a chance to opt out.
http://www.kmov.com/news/local/Farmington-teachers-complain-after-active-shooter-training-gets-too-intense-248656231.html
LABOR: Grocers, UFCW freeze the clock
The contract covering most of the employees at Southern California’s three largest supermarket chains will be extended indefinitely while store executives and union leaders continue to work out a new deal, sources said.
The contract between 60,000 members of the United Food & Commercial Workers and Albertsons, Vons and Ralphs expired Sunday. On Monday, March 3, a union spokesman confirmed that the grocery crews will still be covered by that contract while the union and the three chains continue negotiating.
This is a similar situation to the last two contract cycles, in 2007 and 2011, when the talks continued for months after the formal expiration date, said Todd Conger, communications director of Local 324 of UFCW, which represents Orange County workers. Seven locals spread out from the Central Valley to the Mexican border are affected by these talks.
Conger said in an email that the next negotiating session will be Friday, followed by other rounds of talks on March 21 and March 28.
http://www.pe.com/business/business-headlines/20140303-labor-groceries-ufcw-freeze-the-clock.ece
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