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Failing a Drug Test in the SAP Program: want to know more about

Failing a Drug Test in the SAP Program: want to know more about

Failing a drug test in any situation can be overwhelming, but when it happens during the Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) program, the stakes are even higher. For individuals in safety-sensitive roles mandated by the Department of Transportation (DOT), staying compliant is critical—not just for their career, but for public safety as well. Here's what you need to know about the consequences of failing a drug test in the SAP program, how to restart the process, and steps to move forward successfully.
A failed drug test in the SAP program leads to immediate consequences. DOT rules require the removal of the individual from safety-sensitive duties, such as driving commercial vehicles or handling hazardous materials. Employers are also required to log the violation in the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, making it visible to current and potential employers.
Beyond the immediate job impact, individuals must restart the SAP process, which involves a new evaluation, a more intensive treatment plan, and additional follow-up actions. Not only does this delay their ability to return to work, but it also adds financial strain, as most costs are paid out of pocket.
For an in-depth explanation of these outcomes, check out the detailed guide on what happens if you fail a drug test in the SAP program.
If you fail a drug test during the SAP program, the only way to move forward is by starting fresh. This begins with a new evaluation conducted by a qualified Substance Abuse Professional. During this evaluation, your case will be reviewed, and you'll receive updated recommendations tailored to the new violation. These could include drug and alcohol education, outpatient counseling, or even rehabilitation programs for more severe cases.
After completing the prescribed treatments, you'll need to pass a return-to-duty test. Beyond this, you'll be subject to follow-up drug testing under strict monitoring, which can last for up to five years. It's a structured process, but one designed to set you up for sustained success.
For step-by-step guidance on how to restart the SAP Evaluation process and fulfill each requirement.
Although failing a SAP-related drug test is undoubtedly a setback, it doesn't have to end your professional career. Here's how you can rebuild and regain trust: Take Accountability: Acknowledge the violation and hold yourself responsible for going through the SAP steps. Employers value honesty and commitment to improvement. Work with Your SAP: Your Substance Abuse Professional is an ally, not an adversary. They are there to guide you through the process and develop a plan that works for you. Prioritize Compliance: Follow all testing and treatment requirements promptly and thoroughly. If you do this, you're one step closer to regaining eligibility for employment. Seek Support Networks: Programs like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous can offer peer support to help you maintain long-term sobriety. Research SAP-Friendly Employers: Look into organizations that have a history of hiring individuals who've successfully completed the SAP program. Communities and directories geared toward DOT-regulated employees can be helpful.
For more actionable advice and tips, visit the full discussion on rebuilding your career after a failed SAP drug test at AACS Counseling.
Failing a drug test in the SAP program might feel like an insurmountable obstacle, but with the right resources and commitment, you can overcome it. The SAP process is designed to not only ensure safety but also provide people with the tools they need to recover and succeed. By learning how the system works and what's expected of you, you'll be better equipped to regain your footing and move forward confidently.
For more comprehensive information about the consequences of failing a drug test, tips for restarting the SAP process, and ways to stay on track, don't miss the full resource available at AACS Counseling's website. It's a valuable guide to navigating the process and overcoming challenges.
Take control of your future and turn this setback into a stepping stone toward a stronger, more secure career.
What Happens at a SAP Evaluation?
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Map Shows US States Where COVID Cases Are Rising
Map Shows US States Where COVID Cases Are Rising

Newsweek

timean hour ago

  • Newsweek

Map Shows US States Where COVID Cases Are Rising

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. COVID-19 cases are rising in 31 states and "likely growing" in 14 others, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The government agency, which coordinated the national response to the pandemic, said that 45 states were seeing high chances of increased COVID cases, five years after the pandemic began. Why It Matters Since the start of the pandemic, heath authorities have kept an eye on the number of cases across the world. While the development of a vaccine means that increased cases will no longer be met with the same lockdown policies, COVID cases are still a cause for concern, especially for the unvaccinated and immunocompromised. What To Know The number of states in which COVID cases appear to be growing has increased from 27 to 31 since August 5. Most significantly, the data shows that California switched from "likely growing" to "growing," meaning that the most populous state in the union is now measuring an increasing number of COVID cases. Other large population hubs, like Texas, New York and Florida, have stayed in the "growing" category. A majority of the U.S. population lives in a "growing" state. The only states to report no growth in COVID cases were Alaska, Maine, New Hampshire and North Dakota, along with Washington, D.C. A spokesperson for the CDC told Newsweek that "COVID-19 activity is increasing in many Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Southern and West Coast states. The most recent genomic surveillance estimates indicated that the most common variants in the U.S. were NB. 1.8.1 and LP. 8.1 in late June. "Due to low numbers of sequences reported to CDC, precision in the most recent reporting period is low." What People Are Saying Dr. Steven Goldberg, a physician and chief medical officer at HealthTrackRx, told Newsweek: "The current rise in COVID-19 cases is likely multifactorial. Increased summer travel, indoor gatherings due to high temperatures, waning vaccine immunity and the emergence of immune-evasive Omicron subvariants like KP.3 and LB.1 all play a role. "Wastewater surveillance, along with anecdotal reports of increased COVID-19-related ER and urgent care visits, corroborate this increase." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in a statement: "As of August 5, 2025, we estimate that COVID-19 infections are growing or likely growing in 45 states, declining or likely declining in 0 states, and not changing in 5 states." What Happens Next The CDC will continue to monitor any spread of COVID across the U.S.

I wiped with bamboo and recycled paper to find the best eco-friendly toilet paper
I wiped with bamboo and recycled paper to find the best eco-friendly toilet paper

CNN

time2 days ago

  • CNN

I wiped with bamboo and recycled paper to find the best eco-friendly toilet paper

The best eco-friendly toilet papers we tested Best eco-friendly toilet paper: Who Gives A Crap 100% Bamboo Toilet Paper Best recycled toilet paper: Aria 100% Recycled Toilet Paper Living a more sustainable life can take many forms, from shopping locally and reducing single-use plastics to using a reusable water bottle or composting. However, one area you might not consider when trying to reduce your carbon footprint is your bathroom. Most toilet paper in the US market is made from trees cut down from forests in Canada, and 'industrial logging claims more than a million acres of boreal forest every year,' according to a report by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) titled 'The Issue With Tissue.' Installing one of the best bidets can help you cut down on toilet paper use, but if you want to limit your impact, using the best eco-friendly toilet paper is critical too. To find the best eco-friendly toilet paper, I researched the most sustainable options, using the NRDC's 'The Issue With Tissue' Sixth Edition Scorecard, and ran standardized tests on 10 of the most popular and planet-friendly options. After a thorough testing process, I found the two best eco-friendly toilet papers you can buy. Who Gives A Crap 100% Bamboo Toilet Paper This toilet paper from Who Gives A Crap is incredibly soft and strong thanks to its 100% bamboo construction. It scored a B on the NRDC scorecard, but it had the best combination of absorption, durability and feel of any toilet paper I tested. Aria 100% Recycled Toilet Paper Recycled toilet paper is more sustainable than bamboo options, but some recycled toilet papers lack durability or feel rough. Aria's 100% recycled toilet paper is the softest and plushest option I tried, and it's durable enough for most. If you want a high-performing toilet paper that's easier on the planet, look no further than Who Gives A Crap's 100% Bamboo Toilet Paper. It's strong and soft, and although it only scored a B on the NRDC's scorecard, Who Gives A Crap's other sustainable efforts will win you over. During my product testing, I found that bamboo toilet papers normally offer a softer and more durable build than options made from recycled toilet paper. Case in point: Who Gives A Crap's bamboo paper. Even though it was one of the softest toilet papers I tested, it was also one of the most durable. It tied as the top scorer in my standardized durability test and my general wiping comfort test. I use a bidet, and the added water can make wiping with low-quality toilet paper an awful experience. But even with that extra difficulty, the Who Gives A Crap bamboo toilet paper stayed solid, with little to no rips, in both my wet and dry wipe tests. Besides durability, the other standout feature of the Who Gives A Crap paper is its softness. This roll was the second softest of all the toilet papers I tested, coming in just behind the Aria 100% Recycled Toilet Paper. In addition to its soft and smooth feel, I never had any issues with the texture, unlike some of the other recycled toilet papers I tested, which can sometimes feel very rough and thin. The Who Gives A Crap bamboo toilet paper scored well in my absorption test, has a convenient subscription where you can buy in bulk and was even in the top half of rolls when I calculated cost per sheet. While this roll stood out in nearly every test I ran, one area where it — and all the bamboo toilet papers I tested — fell a bit short was in its NRDC score. All the bamboo toilet papers I tested scored a B, which is the lowest score I allowed into the testing pool. These toilet papers are still miles better than options that use virgin paper, but they aren't quite as sustainable as recycled options. Even though the paper itself didn't score as high as others on the NRDC scorecard, the other sustainability efforts of Who Gives A Crap are far above almost any other brand I researched. Who Gives A Crap is a certified B Corporation and FSC certified, and it donates 50% of its profits to help provide access to clean water and toilets to communities across the globe. If you're looking to spend your money on a brand that does good in the world, Who Gives A Crap was one of the best options I tested. If you need a sustainable toilet paper that's soft and strong and can help make a difference, Who Gives A Crap's 100% Bamboo Toilet Paper is the roll for you. Not only was it the best-performing toilet paper I tested, but the mission behind the brand makes swapping out whatever toilet paper you have now a no-brainer. If you want toilet paper that's even better for the planet than bamboo options, Aria's 100% Recycled Toilet Paper is what you need. It's made from completely recycled content, plus it's free of dyes, inks and fragrances, which helped earn it an A+ on NRDC's scorecard. An A+ is the highest a product can score, and only four toilet papers I tested achieved this feat. Of those four, the plush feel of Aria's toilet paper made it a standout pick. While most recycled toilet papers didn't feel as soft as bamboo options, Aria bucked that trend. It was the softest, most plush toilet paper I tested by far, thanks to its extravagant three-ply construction. It has the closest feel to traditional toilet paper of anything in my testing pool. While the softness was its shining feature, the Aria roll didn't slack in other areas either. Notably, it had top-notch absorption, scoring in the top three during my tests. Its one downside is durability, which is par for the course for recycled toilet papers. In my standardized test, the Aria sheets were tied at the bottom with the worst durability score. But in day-to-day use, those durability results didn't translate to ripped toilet paper when I wiped. In fact, during my wiping tests, the Aria toilet paper was one of the best performers. Even so, given its poor durability rating in my other test, you should expect some ripping or crumbling depending on the situation — it is made from recycled paper after all. While it won't happen as much as with other recycled toilet papers, if durability is a top priority for you, go with a bamboo option instead. Besides its stellar score from the NRDC, Aria has decent sustainability efforts as well. It's FSC certified, it comes in recyclable paper packaging and the brand even partners with the Arbor Day Foundation to help plant trees. I wish there were more information about this partnership and other initiatives on Aria's website so consumers could learn more about its sustainability efforts in all areas. There is one small caveat to Aria's sustainability, though, and it's related to its paper packaging. Reducing plastic packaging is great, and the Aria toilet paper I got was wrapped in paper. Unfortunately, the paper packaging was wrapped in a plastic Amazon bag since I bought it on Amazon. Currently, Aria is only widely available online at Amazon, so I hope to see it offered at other retailers that are more committed to reducing plastic in the shipping process, such as Grove Collaborative, soon. If you're willing to sacrifice a bit of durability for a more sustainable material, Aria's 100% Recycled Toilet Paper should be in your bathroom. It's supremely soft, strong enough for most and tied with the highest NRDC score of all the toilet papers I tested. To find the very best eco-friendly toilet paper, I got 10 of the most popular and sustainable options and put them to the test. Here are the tests I ran. Performance Absorption: I weighed six sheets of each toilet paper, soaked them in water, then weighed them again to measure how much water they could absorb. Durability: I secured one sheet of toilet paper underneath the lid of a canning jar, then dropped a marker from 15 inches high. I increased the number of sheets until the toilet paper was able to stop the marker from going through. Wiping comfort: I used each toilet paper, and conducted dry and wet wiping tests after using a bidet. General feel and softness: I felt each toilet paper and ranked them from softest to roughest. Design NRDC score: I researched each toilet paper's score on the NRDC scorecard. Other sustainability efforts: I researched any other sustainability efforts or certifications each brand had. Cost per sheet: I calculated how much each toilet paper costs and ranked them. Subscription availability: I researched if the toilet papers had any sort of subscription or automatic delivery service. There are two main types of sustainable toilet paper: bamboo and recycled. Bamboo tends to be softer and stronger, since it's made from a virgin material. However, since bamboo is a grass, it grows back incredibly fast and is a much more eco-friendly option compared to using wood pulp from trees. Recycled toilet paper, on the other hand, is a more sustainable material because it repurposes paper that has already been used for something else. In my testing, I found these toilet papers to be less durable than bamboo options, and they often feel rougher, too. But when it comes to sustainability, nothing beats recycled toilet paper. Choosing the right eco-friendly toilet paper depends on your preferences. If you want something more sustainable, sacrificing a bit of durability and comfort with recycled toilet paper is the way to go, but if you want a paper that performs better, bamboo will likely be your preference. Once you know what kind of toilet paper you want, finding a brand that has the right price and amenities is just as important. Some toilet paper companies offer subscriptions, either through their websites or on Amazon. And if you want to use your money to support sustainable or charitable causes, finding a brand that donates some of its profits could be an important factor in your buying decision. Who Gives A Crap 100% Recycled Toilet Paper This recycled toilet paper scored an A from the NRDC, but it just wasn't durable enough in my tests. If the Who Gives A Crap recycled toilet paper were more durable, it would have been a shoo-in for the crown of best recycled toilet paper. It's not as soft as the Aria, but the brand's charitable initiatives really bumped up this paper's overall sustainability score. When wiping, I found it to rip and crumble more than most other papers I tested, which knocked it down a few pegs. Grove Collaborative 3-Ply Bamboo Toilet Paper A close contender for the bamboo title, this roll is a great alternative to Who Gives A Crap. If I could have named a runner-up for the best bamboo toilet paper, it would have been this set from Grove Collaborative. It was similar in strength to the Who Gives A Crap rolls, but it was just a touch rougher. I also love how Grove Collaborative is a certified B Corp and has a program to help remove plastic from nature. Plus, this was one of only two rolls to be delivered completely plastic-free (the other was Reel). Reel Bamboo Toilet Paper The bamboo toilet papers I tested were all great, and this roll from Reel was no exception. It was just a little bit rougher and less durable than Who Gives A Crap, which knocked it down. If you choose Reel's bamboo toilet paper over Who Gives A Crap's for whatever reason, I can't blame you. It's nearly as soft and strong, but it just couldn't quite match the stellar performances of our winner. However, it's still a great roll from a great brand that has some good sustainability initiatives too. 365 by Whole Foods Market Sustainably Soft Bath Tissue This recycled toilet paper did decently well in my tests and has a stellar A+ score from the NRDC. This recycled toilet paper was one of the stronger recycled options I tested. Similar to the Aria roll, you'll probably only get a little ripping or crumbling when using this toilet paper. It wasn't nearly as soft and didn't absorb as much as the Aria paper, which kept it out of the winning circle. Marcal 1646616PK 100% Recycled 2-Ply Bath Tissue This was the strongest recycled toilet paper I tested, but it just felt too rough to be a winner. The Marcal rolls surprised me with just how durable they were, even though they're made from recycled paper. However, this was the roughest toilet paper I tested, and it felt like something you'd find in a public bathroom. Even though the Marcal is strong, I think the added comfort of the Aria makes it the better pick. Green Forest Premium 100% Recycled Bathroom Tissue Another A+ scorer on the NRDC list, this toilet paper just couldn't stand out above the competition. These recycled rolls from Green Forest weren't bad, but they didn't soar above the competition either. The toilet paper absorbed a lot of water but had middling durability and comfort. It's not a bad toilet paper by any means, but I think there are better options out there. Seventh Generation 100% Recycled Bath Tissue This toilet paper didn't have the best durability, and it didn't shine in my comfort tests either. Seventh Generation's recycled toilet paper is another solid, but not special, option. It didn't perform well in my standardized durability tests and had just OK results from my wiping tests. You probably won't be mad if you buy this toilet paper, but I think you'll be happier with one of our winners. Trader Joe's Bath Tissue (only sold at brick-and-mortar Trader Joe's locations) The Trader Joe's recycled toilet paper had pretty good results in most of my tests. It absorbed quite a bit of water, felt nice to wipe with and got an A+ from the NRDC. It fell in the middle of the pack out of the recycled toilet papers when it came to durability and feel, and it is the cheapest toilet paper I tested. It wasn't quite good enough to beat out the other toilet papers I tested, but it's a good option to snag if you're already shopping at Trader Joe's. The following FAQs were answered by Kai Burkhardt, this guide's writer and CNN Underscored's sustainability editor. Is bamboo toilet paper eco-friendly? Is bamboo toilet paper eco-friendly? Yes, bamboo toilet paper is eco-friendly. Bamboo is a much more sustainable option than toilet paper made from virgin wood pulp; however, the most eco-friendly alternative is recycled toilet paper. What is eco-friendly toilet paper? What is eco-friendly toilet paper? Normal toilet paper is made from trees that are cut down just to be flushed in your toilet. Eco-friendly toilet paper is made from either recycled paper or bamboo, both of which are more sustainable materials that have a smaller impact on the planet. CNN Underscored editors thoroughly test most of the products we cover and provide full transparency about how we test them. We have an experienced team of writers and editors with many years of testing experience who ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted. The writer of this story, Kai Burkhardt, is CNN Underscored's outdoors, pet and sustainability editor. For this guide, he acquired all the eco-friendly toilet paper mentioned in this story and tested the rolls himself. He performed standardized tests and also used them in day-to-day life to discover the best.

Joseph Lovett, TV producer who shed an early light on AIDS, dies at 80
Joseph Lovett, TV producer who shed an early light on AIDS, dies at 80

Boston Globe

time7 days ago

  • Boston Globe

Joseph Lovett, TV producer who shed an early light on AIDS, dies at 80

In May 1983, when Mr. Lovett produced the first long-form news segment on AIDS for the ABC News program '20/20,' the disease had received slim coverage since being identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1981. After witnessing friends dying of the disease, he resolved to cover it. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up In the resulting segment, a young Geraldo Rivera sounded the alarm about the crisis in interviews with public officials, patients, researchers, and activists, including Dr. Edward N. Brandt Jr., assistant secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services; Dr. Anthony Fauci, who at the time was an immunology researcher at the National Institutes of Health; and playwright and AIDS activist Larry Kramer. Advertisement The segment criticized the Reagan administration's slow response to the crisis and singled out The New York Times for an absence of AIDS-related articles on its front page. After it aired, letters of support poured in from AIDS patients, health officials, and fellow journalists across the country. Advertisement 'He dragged television audiences kicking and screaming into understanding the epidemic,' Rivera said in an interview. 'He was nonstop. Once he got wound up, he was determined.' As the epidemic became national news -- the Times ran its first front-page article about it within a week of the '20/20' investigation -- Mr. Lovett remained a steadfast chronicler in follow-up segments, including one about Rock Hudson's death from the disease in 1985 and another in which Barbara Walters held a toddler diagnosed with AIDS, to dispel public fears about skin contact. Mr. Lovett's reports were often crowdsourced from a vibrant network of activists and journalists he had cultivated in Lower Manhattan, where he lived. With his partner, Jim Cottrell, an anesthesiologist at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, he would host activists, journalists, and intellectuals at their home, on Fifth Avenue in Greenwich Village. After 10 years at the network, Mr. Lovett left ABC in 1989 and started his own independent production company. In the early 1990s, he created 'In a New Light,' a yearly series of star-studded specials aimed at demystifying the disease and raising prevention awareness. Airing from 1992 to 1996, it was hosted by celebrities including Elizabeth Taylor, Arsenio Hall, Paula Abdul, and Walters. Mr. Lovett drew heavily on personal tragedies in later films and documentaries. He staged a reenactment of his mother being crushed by a runaway car, an incident he witnessed as a 13-year-old, in the film 'The Accident' (1999). The death of his father and three siblings to cancer prompted him to produce and direct 'Cancer: Evolution to Revolution' (2000), a film about coping, treating, and learning to live with the disease; in one scene, he had a colonoscopy on camera. The documentary won a 2001 Peabody Award and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy in 2000. Advertisement Throughout his career, Mr. Lovett developed a frank approach to his productions. 'We don't talk about bodily fluids, we talk about sexual fluids,' he told Etcetera magazine, an LGBTQ+ digest based in Atlanta, before a new installment of 'In a New Light' in 1993. 'We don't deal in euphemisms.' 'Television is a fantastic opportunity for education,' he added. 'And education doesn't have to be dull.' Joseph Fromm Lovett was born in Providence on March 29, 1945. The youngest of five siblings, he moved in with his older sister, Trisha, after the death of his mother, Jeanne (Millman) Lovett, in 1958. His father, Samuel Lovett, a builder who worked on Cape Cod, had died of colon cancer in 1954, when Joseph was a child. He earned a bachelor's degree in English at Columbia University in 1967. That year, he enrolled in the film MFA program at the university, but, swept up by student protests, he dropped out in 1968. His first job after film school was casting actors for Amram Nowak Associates, a production company. He was hired as an editor for CBS in 1975 and later promoted to producer. His first long-form segment, 'Parents of Gays,' was aired in 1977 on 'Magazine,' a daytime program. Mr. Lovett met Cottrell in 1976. They married in Barnstable in 2004, on the first day that same-sex marriage was legal in Massachusetts. Mr. Lovett joined ABC as a producer in 1979. His '20/20' segments covering the AIDS crisis earned him a reputation as a crusading journalist, and he also became known as a gregarious mentor to young reporters. Advertisement He started his own production company, Lovett Stories & Strategies, in 1989. Among the projects he worked on was a one-hour ABC special on adoption, 'Born in My Heart' (2001), which he produced with Walters. He also produced and directed the documentaries 'Gay Sex in the 70s' (2005); 'Going Blind' (2010), which was prompted by his own glaucoma diagnosis; and 'Children of the Inquisition' (2019), which followed descendants of families who had fled the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions as they traced their roots. Cottrell is Mr. Lovett's only immediate survivor. One of his final projects, 'Something Terrible Happened to Joey' (2022), a short animated film about confronting childhood trauma narrated by Rosie Perez, follows a boy who experiences an unspecified 'terrible' thing and, as a result, has to navigate the world carrying a giant sack of coal. The boy lugs the coal around for years, but it begins to shrink only when he opens up to his friends about the terrible thing. When the sack finally disappears, he searches for it but instead finds a balloon. It lifts him above magnolia trees, above blossoming flower beds, above his waving friends, and into a white sky. This article originally appeared in

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