The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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Getting the most value from post-holiday sales: 4 key categories worth buying now As the holiday season winds down, the days between Christmas and New Year’s have become a key moment for shoppers to recharge and enjoy their new holiday presents, including one of the most gifted items of the season: gift cards. According to the National Retail Federation, gift cards rank as the second-most popular gift for the 2025 holiday season, with total spending estimated to reach $29 billion. Whether s...
December 26, 2025 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Donald J. Trump (R) used Christmas night to deliver one of the most consequential foreign‑policy announcements of his second term, revealing that U.S. forces had carried out what he described as "powerful and deadly" airstrikes against ISIS militants in northwest Nigeria. The strikes, conducted in coordination with the Nigerian government, marked a dramatic escalation in U.S. military involvement in West Africa and immediately reshaped the p...
December 19, 2025 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - A bipartisan pair of lawmakers has introduced new federal legislation aimed at expanding access to cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation services, particularly in rural and underserved communities. U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL‑07) and Rep. Adrian Smith (NE‑03) announced the Increasing Access to Quality Cardiac Rehabilitation Act, a bill that would allow advanced practice providers-including physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse speciali...
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R‑Ala.) joined Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R‑La.), Social Security Administration Commissioner Frank Bisignano, and Airbnb co‑founder Joe Gebbia at the U.S. Treasury Department this week to discuss the launch of "Trump Accounts," a key component of the Working Families Tax Cut Act. The initiative is designed to encourage long‑term savings for children and expand financial opportunities for future generations. Treasury...
December 19, 2025 - PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Authorities confirmed late Thursday that the man suspected of carrying out the deadly shooting at Brown University - and later killing an MIT professor - was found dead in a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire. The discovery ends a six‑day, multi‑state manhunt that had gripped campuses across the Northeast and raised urgent questions about motive, campus security, and the suspect's past. Officials identified the suspect as Claudio Manuel Neves Val...
The dangers of raising speed limits on interstates The recent increase in the speed limit on I-465 in Indiana, from 55 mph to 65 mph, raises the question of whether raising the speed limit on highways is a good idea. While the increase is meant to enhance the flow of traffic on the often busy interstate, there are several potential dangers that drivers may not consider. Although it is believed that raising speed limits and driving faster will reduce travel time, studies have shown that the actua...
Are we ready to trust in AI to power the future of customer communications? Ready or not, here it comes. Artificial intelligence is quickly changing the ways we interact with the world. That includes how businesses connect with people. But how do your customers feel about AI? What are your expectations for how AI will transform customer experiences? While using AI as part of a customer communications strategy isn’t exactly new, it is certainly expanding. Honestly, exploding might be a better w...
The LLC generation: How modern entrepreneurs are rewriting the rules of business formation One in four Americans ages 18 to 24 now runs a business, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. That marks a historic shift in who starts companies and when. For over two decades, entrepreneurial activity peaked among people in their 30s and 40s. Today, it’s the youngest adults leading the charge. And they’re moving faster than any generation before them. Instead of treating formation as a dis...
Capital gains tax: 2025-2026 rates, brackets and state guide Investors who sell an investment at a profit in a taxable account incur a capital gain that they must report on their tax returns. For investments held longer than one year, the long-term capital gains tax applies. In both the 2025 and 2026 tax years, federal tax laws impose three different rates on long-term capital gains based on income. The major tax changes enacted through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act earlier in 2025 had no...
Congressional seats, even the safe ones, don’t come cheap To run for Congress, candidates must satisfy three constitutional qualifications: Meet the minimum age requirement, be a U.S. citizen and reside in the state they seek to represent. But, heading into the 2026 cycle, it is clear there is one additional, unofficial requirement: They must be able to raise several million dollars. The total cost of congressional races in 2024 was $9.5 billion, including spending by outside groups, a...
5 top-rated used small SUVs If you've spent the last few years in a compact car, and you're feeling the need for an upgrade, a small SUV might be perfect for you. They offer increased cargo and passenger space without a big trade-off in fuel economy, and the prices are reasonable when you consider their capability. They're great for folks looking to downsize from larger vehicles too. Below are Edmunds’ top picks, as well as the average price for a 2023 model on the used market compared to the ba...
Europe’s new golden age: Americans choose culture over beaches Goodbye, sandy beaches, hello cultural immersion. A new era of travel is redefining how Americans vacation, with the majority seeking not just escape but enrichment. According to JayWay Travel’s 2025 study, 87% of travelers are shifting from passive relaxation to active exploration, trading sun loungers for museums, markets, and meaningful memories. This renaissance in travel is about value, identity, and connection. Europe has bec...
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R‑AL) delivered an emotional tribute on the Senate floor this week honoring the life of Ella Cook, a 19‑year‑old Mountain Brook native who was killed in a mass shooting on the campus of Brown University. The attack claimed two lives and left several others wounded, sending shockwaves through both the Rhode Island campus and communities back home in Alabama. Tuberville used his remarks to highlight Ella's deep Christian faith, her devotion to famil...
Fed rate cuts: Are they good or bad for home buyers? You can count on it: When the Federal Reserve changes its interest rate, news headlines about mortgage rates will follow. This cycle unfolds up to eight times a year, so many home shoppers get the idea that the Fed regulates mortgage rates. Fed decisions affect mortgage rates, but the Fed doesn’t control mortgage rates directly. In fact, as Better discusses here, the Fed’s actions can have unpredictable effects on the rates new home buy...
The most dangerous time to drive in every state In 2023, roughly one-third of all U.S. traffic fatalities (33%) happened between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., with the single deadliest three-hour block from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (18% of all deaths). Those hours straddle the evening commute, when roads are crowded, daylight fades, and impairment risks rise. That pattern shows up year after year in federal crash data. Traffic deaths nationwide have risen sharply over the past several years, even as overall...
4 scam trends consumers must watch going into 2026 (and how to stay ahead of them) In America, fraud is no longer a static threat. It has instead become an evolving ecosystem, continually powered by artificial intelligence, automation, and an ever-expanding digital footprint. Consumers have spent much of the past decade reacting to the latest scam of the month, whether that be a phishing text, bogus charges, or something else. However, with 2026 on the horizon, scams are set to become more...
(Montgomery, Ala) - Attorney General Steve Marshall has joined a 21-state coalition of attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in support of Florida's law that ensures that public-school libraries do not provide sexually graphic materials to their young students. A federal district court in Florida ruled that the law likely violates the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment and entered an order prohibiting Florida from enforcing the l...
Why many first-time investors choose a hard money loan The real estate investment arena hasn’t exactly been rolling out the red carpet for new investors, but things are about to change. According to industry insiders, we’re stepping into a Goldilocks zone over the next six to 12 months. For the last few years, you couldn't breathe on a property without ten cash offers beating you. That frenzy has finally cooled (at least for the moment). Interest rates have settled in the mid-6% range and are...
Beyond the house: Insuring your deck, fence, and detached garage When homeowners review their policy, their focus often remains on Coverage A: Dwelling, which is the physical structure of the main house. However, a significant portion of a property’s value resides in its external, unattached structures, such as detached garages, fencing, sheds, and gazebos. Cheap Insurance explains how these external structures are covered under a different section of the homeowners insurance policy, usually d...
Dating app rape survivors file lawsuit accusing Hinge, Tinder of ‘accommodating rapists’ Six women who were drugged and raped or sexually assaulted by the same Denver cardiologist filed a lawsuit against Match Group on Dec. 16, accusing the world’s largest dating app company of “accommodating rapists across its products” through “negligence” and a “defective” product. The women, backed by four law firms, said that by allowing known abusers like Stephen Matthews to remain on its apps, Tinder...
Affordable luxury cars for 2026 Although "affordable luxury car" may seem like an oxymoron, the reality is that there are several appealing vehicles from prestige brands that come in under the average cost of a new vehicle. These are eight of Edmunds’ highly rated affordable cars from luxury brands, each with a starting price of less than $45,000 and each offering a blend of comfort, technology and performance to suit the badges on their hoods. Affordable luxury cars can be found in a variety o...
December 23, 2025 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Donald J. Trump (R), Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced their intent to construct a new class of American-designed battleships. Trump promised that the new ship will be the most lethal surface combatant ever constructed. The first ship in the new Trump class will be the USS Defiant (BBG 1). The Trump class battleships will be the flagships of Trump's new "Gold Fleet" proposal. "As we forge the future...
Today is December 25. December 25 is synonymous with Christmas. It was not always that way. The holiday is based on the Biblical account in the Gospel of Luke. Based on the writing of the historian Josephus, Herod the Great died in 4 BC, since he plays a considerable role in the account told in the Gospel of Matthew that places the biblical account of Jesus's birth around 6 to 8 BC. Nothing in either gospel account says anything about December 25. This perplexed early Christians because the birt...
Holiday cheer turning hostile in restaurants Every year, millions of Americans head into stores and restaurants expecting warmth, efficiency, and holiday magic. But behind the counters, another reality is unfolding—one marked by rising stress, intensifying customer aggression, and a workforce pushed beyond its limits. CaterCow reports that 2025 holiday season is shaping up to be one of the most stressful in recent memory for retail and restaurant staff. Customer behavior is deteriorating, and th...
jittawit21 // Shutterstock Cheapest gas stations in every state Dec. 23, 2025 Anyone who drives a car understands the sting of having to fill up their tank and pulling into the gas station, only to discover that gas prices have skyrocketed. Paying extra for gas means you have less to spend on other things, which, over time, can really put a crimp in your budget. Cheap Insurance explored some of the reasons behind major changes in gas prices, and compiled a list of the cheapest gas stations in...
