The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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This summer, a wave of new graduates are embarking on finding their first jobs and entering the workforce. Amidst a competitive job landscape, it's also an exciting time that's marked by a flurry of hallmark learnings like navigating a new professional network and making a positive impression with colleagues. These young professionals are also grappling with an increasingly daunting consideration: How might generative AI affect their roles over the coming years? While there are many headlines...
This month marks the five-year anniversary of the World Health Organization's declaration that COVID-19 was a pandemic. That announcement shuttered school buildings and launched millions of students into remote learning. While the immediate health crisis is over, the long-term impact on students is not, The 74 reports. The latest Nation's Report Card underscores that academic recovery remains elusive, with many students needing months of additional instructional time to close the pandemic...
A concussion is a brain injury that occurs when a violent blow or jolt hits the head and causes the brain to strike against the inside of the skull. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), concussions can damage brain cells and lead to dangerous chemical changes within the brain. But is there a difference between a concussion and a traumatic brain injury (TBI)? Learn how to distinguish between this terminology below. And remember, if you have been injured in an...
Insurance is an important part of financial planning. It can help you protect yourself from unexpected financial losses due to accidents, illnesses, or other events. However, insurance can also be expensive. This is where insurance discounts come in. Insurance discounts are offered by insurance companies to lower the cost of your insurance policy. There are many different types of insurance discounts available, depending on your individual circumstances. By taking advantage of insurance...
Just when activity began to normalize on the nation's car dealer lots, tariff uncertainty threatens to increase auto prices for Americans in 2025. But for now, we're taking a look at 2024 data, which shows car loan balances increased moderately last year. The average auto loan balance held by consumers in the United States increased 2.1% to $24,297 as of the third quarter (Q3) of 2024, according to Experian data. This increase broadly impacted all U.S. regions and consumers of all ages and...
More insurance coverage should mean more confidence for small business owners, right? Not exactly—at least, not yet. According to a NEXT nationwide survey of 500 small business owners, insurance adoption is up across the board but confidence hasn't caught up. Despite more business owners having small business insurance coverage, many still feel unprepared to face real-world risks, and a majority say they find insurance confusing. This year's survey, a follow-up to NEXT's 2023 industry pulse c...
It's true that you can be healthy while living in a larger body. But it's also true that, for many, carrying excess weight can lead to health problems. This tends to be a bigger issue for women. More women than men report trying to lose weight and view themselves as overweight. Even though obesity in women is common, it's harder for women to lose weight. In fact, many studies show that men lose more weight than women from dieting, as well as from dieting plus exercise. But why? GoodRx reviews th...
Scroll through the news, and you'll find no shortage of horror stories about landlords. But in three recent cases involving unlawfully withheld security deposits, a $692,000 wrongful eviction settlement, and chronic tenant neglect and harassment, the wrongdoing came from the property management companies hired to oversee the rental properties. Property management companies and landlords aren't necessarily one and the same, TurboTenant notes. And when a property manager fails to uphold the terms...
On Dec. 6, 2024, Connecticut State Police arrested a 35-year-old man who had allegedly failed to report several of his guns as stolen. It wasn't a mundane arrest: His case appeared to be a classic example of gun trafficking fueled by straw purchasing, a term for when a person buys a gun with the intent of giving or selling it to someone prohibited from possessing it, like a person convicted of a felony. In all, the man had allegedly purchased more than 30 guns, including 16 in 2020 alone. Some...
More than $80 trillion over 20 years-that's the scale of the coming wave of wealth expected to trickle down to younger Americans over the next two decades. Dubbed the Great Wealth Transfer, the shift of assets from older generations to millennials and Generation Z may profoundly reshape financial influence and spending priorities in America. By one estimate, the Silent Generation and baby boomers are set to pass on $90 trillion to younger generations by 2044. Other estimates are more...
Few animals exhibit the absolute, unadulterated joy of a dog greeting its human companion after they arrive home from a long day at work. Dog owners may ask, "Does anyone love me as much as my dog?" As times change, so too do pet owners' preferences when it comes to which breeds they bring home. Breeds once wildly popular just a few decades ago may have fallen out of fashion. In other cases, an underdog can rise to the top of the charts. Take the French bulldog, for instance, which dethroned...
While taxes and a high cost of living eat into a household's earnings, past debt obligations like student loans may take another significant chunk out of the budget before allocating disposable income on nice-to-haves like retirement savings and vacations. While student loans may help a household increase its lifetime earnings, the principal and interest on these loans may stick around for decades—in many cases, those who still have student loan debt into their 60s still have more than $...
Muscle and joint aches. Shooting, stinging, or burning pain. Ongoing stiffness or squeezing sensations, pain so persistent and intense that it leads to constant fatigue, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. These and other symptoms of chronic pain are often associated with older adults, but chronic pain is a pervasive public health issue that is hard to measure. Nearly 1 in 4 adults said they experienced chronic pain, according to a 2023 survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Al...
Ivan Dimov was convicted of reckless driving in 2013, after fleeing police in Washington state while his passenger allegedly dumped heroin out the window. Before that, he got six DUIs in California over a six-year period. None of that would keep him off the road. The California Department of Motor Vehicles reissued him a driver's license in 2017. The next year, on Christmas Eve, he drove drunk again, running stop signs and a traffic light in midtown Sacramento, going more than 80 mph, court...
The retail and e-commerce sectors present significant entrepreneurial opportunities despite global economic shifts and geopolitical uncertainties. For those who can innovate and meet evolving market needs, the landscape remains full of potential. While challenges like inflation and increasing competition persist, some of the fastest-growing retail and e-commerce businesses show resilience by offering consumers greater convenience, affordability and personalized experiences, NEXT says. Many...
When Mental Health America established Mental Health Awareness Month in 1949, few could have predicted its profound impact. What began as a modest educational effort has evolved into a national movement that has fundamentally altered how we perceive, discuss, and treat mental health conditions. For over 70 years, each May has put a spotlight on mental health issues through community events, media campaigns, and educational outreach. But beyond the green ribbons and hashtags, has Mental Health Aw...
Gerardo Valerio had been looking for a bathroom in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo neighborhood for 20 minutes when he stumbled across a blue and white trailer with "FREE BATHROOM" at the top. At first, he was hesitant to enter the bathroom, which had been installed by the Washington, D.C.-based portable toilet startup Throne. To get in, he had to scan a QR code which pre-loaded a text onto his phone. After sending the text, the door would automatically slide open. "What do I text, 'I need to pee'?" h...
Dopamine detoxes are all over social media, with many influencers talking about doing a "five-day dopamine detox" in which they stay away from social media, podcasts, TV, processed food, and other things that feel unhealthy or take up too much of their free time. The practice, sometimes called dopamine fasting, involves taking a temporary break from activities that flood your brain with the feel-good neurotransmitter called dopamine. People do this in order to regain focus, improve mood, and...
While the classic Round Brilliant continues to reign supreme as the most sought-after diamond shape for engagement rings nationwide, shifting tastes are giving rise to new favorites. Across the U.S., couples are expressing individuality through fancy and unique diamond shapes that add a personal touch to their ring choices. VRAI, a fine jewelry company specializing in lab-grown diamonds, shares how diamond shape preferences vary across the country based on its trend data. Here's a look at the...
For her first few years in New York City's public school system, Kai Kraft thought she was "the only Asian kid in the Bronx." Through elementary and middle school, she had teachers from diverse backgrounds — but none who identified as Asian American or Pacific Islander. And as a result, Kraft, who is Filipino American, often didn't feel comfortable confiding in her teachers when she experienced discrimination from her peers. "I let a lot of casual racism slide, even until middle school, because...
Last year was another record-breaking year for electric vehicles, with sales passing 1.2 million. EV sales could merely hold steady in 2025 because new vehicle prices are likely to increase due to tariffs on imported vehicles and parts and the possible rollback of federal EV incentives. Still, many automotive research firms expect EV sales to steadily grow into the 2030s. Below, Edmunds assesses past and current EV sales based on data it has collected. The analysis also includes hybrid and...
Most people never think twice about how a package gets to their doorstep, how a medication arrives on time, or how produce stays fresh from farm to fridge. But when things go wrong—like store shelves sitting empty or critical goods arriving damaged—the mystery of what happened often comes down to one key issue: a blind spot in the supply chain. A "blind spot" is any place in the supply chain where businesses lose track of goods, conditions, or processes. These are the invisible moments bet...
When you use more funds than you have in your checking, savings, or money market bank account, you can end up with a negative balance. That can lead to your bank declining future transactions. If you have opted-in for overdraft coverage, your bank may complete your ATM transaction or debit card purchase, even if the transaction overdraws your account. But you will be charged any overdraft fees that are incurred as a result, and you will be required to repay the amount you are overdrawn. Freedom...
According to the Supreme Court of New Jersey, the selection of an attorney is an important decision and should not be taken lightly. However, sometimes after hiring an attorney, people realize the lawyer they hired is not quite right for them or for their particular case. The good news is that you can fire an injury lawyer, but make sure you are changing for the right reasons. However, if you have any problems or issues with any current lawyers, you should talk it out with your lawyer or their...
The glitz and glam of Hollywood captures the attention of Americans starting from an early age. Beyond celebrities' Instagram Stories and red carpet poses, there are actors out there paying their dues and honing their craft in pursuit of a sustainable career or a fulfilling sideline. Submitting to casting calls is a big part of that journey. Whether you're a working actor or an aspiring one, you might be curious to know which movies and TV shows are casting roles near you. Backstage compiled a...
