The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
Sorted by date Results 1901 - 1925 of 2958
More than 30 million school-aged children's menus will change in fall 2025 to reflect the latest dietary guidelines recommended by the U.S. government. Their new fare will limit added sugars in cereals and yogurts—increasingly over time—and reduce sodium in school breakfasts by 10% and lunches by 15% starting July 1, 2027. "Like teachers, classrooms, books, and computers, nutritious school meals are an essential part of the school environment, and when we raise the bar for school meals, it emp...
Over the past few weeks, cases of rabies in wildlife have exposed several pets. In the city limits of Hokes Bluff in Etowah County, a raccoon positive for rabies was found inside a fenced yard. Three dogs in the yard were exposed to rabies. In early August in Sylacauga, Talladega County, a bat positive for rabies was found on a front porch and a cat was likely exposed. The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) reminds the public that rabies is a viral disease that can be fatal if...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded $2.975 million to the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) Maternal Mortality Review Program (MMRP) over five years through the ERASE MM Grant to expand support to Alabama's Maternal Mortality Review Committee (AL-MMRC).). The AL-MMRC was established in 2018 under the leadership of the ADPH Bureau of Family Health Services. The committee is composed of experts and stakeholders who are familiar with the unique aspects of...
On Saturday, NASA announced that it was concerned enough with the problems on the Alabama made Boeing Starliner that when it leaves the International Space Station (ISS) NASA astronauts, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore will not be on board. Instead Butch and Suni will wait for SpaceX to send up one of their Dragon spaceships. Butch and Suni will join that crew and remain at the ISS until their return in February. The two astronauts arrived at the International Space Station on June 6, expecting...
The Alabama Department of Public Healt currently accepting proposals to collaborate with qualified organizations in Alabama to affect social norm changes around tobacco use and protect youth from nicotine initiation and exposure to secondhand smoke. The program anticipates awarding up to nine grants ranging from $50,000 to $75,000. The required scope of work will include promoting community environments that protect elementary, middle, and high school-aged children from exposure to secondhand...
Divorce rates say a lot about who we are as a society. Trends in how unions dissolve reflect the social, economic, and cultural characteristics that define our time. Divorce rates have shifted over time, introducing new insights into why modern couples decide to end their marriage. LegalZoom reports that there are two ways to measure divorce rates: - Crude divorce rates measure the number of divorces per 1,000 people - Refined divorce rates measure the number of divorces per 1,000 married...
You may have heard that red cars have the highest insurance costs. This is often stated as a fact, with the explanation that police officers view people with red cars as more reckless and likely to speed. It is important to know that this is a misconception. Red cars cost the same to insure as any other color car and are not more expensive to insure. In fact, it is only in certain instances that you may expect your car insurance rates to increase as a result of the color of your car. In this...
Screech. Boom. Crash! In today's fast-paced world, car crashes feel like simply a fact of life. In 1913, before cars dominated the roads, there were only 1.3 million vehicles registered and 4,200 deaths associated with them, according to the National Safety Council. Fast-forward more than a century to 2022, when the latest data is available, and registered vehicles have soared to 283 million, with 46,027 people dying and 5.2 million getting injured on the road. The General analyzed National...
(Montgomery, Ala.) – Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall joined a coalition of 24 attorneys general in demanding answers from the nation's top asset managers to determine if they are neglecting their fiduciary duty to their clients. The letter sent to 25 of the nation's top asset managers raises concerns that the asset managers may be violating their fiduciary duties to their clients by supporting environment shareholder proposals recommended by Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), w...
Tech savvy and away from home, college students are tapping into telehealth services rather than having to rely solely on student health centers. Telehealth has become a back-to-school basic for the collegiate set, 71% of whom report using a telehealth service, as compared to 54% of the general population, according to a 2024 study conducted by Hers. What's the result of more college students turning to telehealth? 71% of college students also self-identify as "healthy" as compared to 60% of...
Unlike hospital and outpatient care settings, where staffing has returned to or surpassed levels seen prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing home staffing continues to experience shortages. A quarter of all nursing homes in the United States in recent years reported "critical" staff shortages amid growing demand from an aging population for long-term health care. To better explore the working conditions of registered nurses in nursing homes, Vivian Health examined payroll data compiled by the...
Governor Kay Ivey on Friday shared a video message ahead of Labor Day weekend, honoring the hardworking men and women across Alabama whose efforts keep the state thriving. In the video, Governor Ivey highlights the importance of Labor Day, acknowledges the contributions of Alabama's diverse workforce and offers her gratitude and well-wishes for the holiday. "My fellow Alabamians, today we come together to celebrate the hard work and dedication of our fellow citizens," the Governor stated....
August 30, 2024 - Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL), the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, released a statement on the three-year anniversary of President Biden's withdrawal from Afghanistan. "In 2021, President Biden and Vice President Harris publicly set an arbitrary deadline to complete the United States' withdrawal from Afghanistan," said Chairman Rogers. "The Biden-Harris administration's arbitrary deadline was fueled by craven politics and u...
On Thursday, Vice President Kamala Harris (D) was interviewed by reporters on CNN. Congressman Gary Palmer (D-Hoover) was skeptical of her performance. "Last night's CNN interview with Vice President Harris raised even more questions in the minds of the American people about her fitness to serve as President," said Rep. Palmer. "The only true statement made during the interview was that her values have not changed. This was her way of saying to her base that, regardless of her current moderate...
Unemployment rates are rising across U.S. metropolitan areas, provoking alarm across the nation and likely leading to interest rate cuts in September. As of July, unemployment rates increased in 350 out of 389 U.S. metros areas—including 47 of the 51 largest metros, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Alabama, using BLS data. Counties are ranked by their pre...
In many parts of the country, you can't drive on an interstate without spotting a semitruck. But have you ever wondered where they are hauling all that stuff? Truck Parking Club used Bureau of Transportation Statistics data to identify the top 20 destinations of freight from Alabama as part of a broader national analysis. The analysis only includes domestic freight. Most of the time, semis are headed somewhere within the same state. In all but one, the highest share of freight was delivered to...
On Friday, U.S. Special Forces, aided by drones, and the Iraqi armed forces launched a raid on ISIS in Western Iraq. 7 U.S. service members were wounded and 15 terrorists were killed. U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) was upset that while U.S. service members were engaged with enemy combat forces President Joseph R. Biden (D) was away from Washington on another extended vacation. "Here's what the media won't mention: While special ops members risked their lives, @JoeBiden was enjoying...
Road trips are more popular than ever—and travelers often have a four-legged family member (or two!) along for the ride. Over the Fourth of July weekend this summer, AAA estimated that more than 60 million Americans drove to their vacation destinations, a new record for travelers hitting the road during the holiday. At the same time, Americans are forgoing leaving their pets at home. This may be in part because families simply have more fur babies than at any time over the past few years. T...
On Friday, the Alabama Republican Party announced that Republican National Committee Co-Chair Lara Trump, the daughter-in-law of former President Donald J. Trump, will be the speaker at the ALGOP's annual summer dinner. The ALGOP said in a release that Lara Trump "has played a pivotal role in advancing conservative values and energizing the Republican grassroots base nationwide. As RNC Co-Chair, she has been instrumental in leading the party's strategic initiatives and rejuvenating the RNC with...
The Alabama built Boeing Starliner is scheduled to autonomously undock from the space station at approximately 5:04 p.m. CDT on Friday, September 6 if weather allows, The Starliner will then journey home for an 11:03 p.m. landing and conclusion of the flight test. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched on-board Boeing's Starliner spacecraft on June 5 for its first crewed flight, They arrived at the ISS on June 6 in a journey through space that was marred by helium leaks and...
You may have heard that red cars have the highest insurance costs. This is often stated as a fact, with the explanation that police officers view people with red cars as more reckless and likely to speed. It is important to know that this is a misconception. Red cars cost the same to insure as any other color car and are not more expensive to insure. In fact, it is only in certain instances that you may expect your car insurance rates to increase as a result of the color of your car. In this...
September 3, 2024 - MONTGOMERY, ALA – House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) has been elected chair of CSG South for 2024- 2025. As chair, Speaker Ledbetter will preside over the Executive Committee of CSG South and the 79th Southern Legislative Conference, which will be held in Birmingham, Alabama, July 19-23, 2025. The meeting, which is the nation's largest regional state government forum, is expected to draw more than 1,800 attendees from the South. Registration will open in F...
Excluding registered and practical nurses, physical therapists (PTs) consistently rank among the top five largest healthcare occupations that require licensure in the United States. The number of PTs increases each year, as does the American population, including a growing number of aging adults who are more likely to need physical therapy. Becoming a PT requires extensive education, resulting in a doctoral or professional degree, making it a lengthy and expensive process to enter the...
Yard chores might seem mundane, but unsafe practices can lead to injury, illness, or even death. Over the past decade, 3.2 million U.S. residents have been injured while working on their lawns or in their gardens. Lawn mower accidents cost patients an average of $37,000 in medical treatment. LawnStarter surveyed over 1,000 U.S. homeowners about their history, habits, and concerns related to lawn care accidents and injuries. See the results below, including demographic insights such as age,...
Andalusia, AL (Sept. 3, 2024) – Southeast Gas, a natural gas utility based in Andalusia, Alabama, has been named one of the top 20 utilities in the country by Site Selection Magazine in their annual top utilities Issue. The company, which serves over 32,000 customers across 19 counties in the Southeast, has contributed to over $2 billion in economic development and growth in 2023 alone. "We are honored to be chosen by Site Selector as one of the Top Utilities in the United States for 2024, w...
