The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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Maxim Grohotov // Shutterstock Hottest Julys in Alabama since 1895 In 2022, the continental United States experienced its third hottest July since 1895, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, while 20 states saw one of their 10 hottest days in the same month. The year prior, July marked the hottest month on record worldwide. Climate change is driving rising temperatures and more record heat. The Earth’s temperature has climbed each decade since 1880 by a...
The states with the highest rates of uninsured drivers and what it costs everyone else Nearly every state requires drivers to carry auto liability insurance, yet millions of motorists are still on the road without it. In 2023, 15.4% of U.S. drivers were uninsured, according to the Insurance Research Council, meaning more than 1 in 7 motorists lacked coverage that could pay for injuries or damage they caused in a crash. The rate has increased since 2017 and remains elevated after a pandemic-era...
1 common IRA mistakes to avoid An individual retirement account, or IRA, is a popular retirement savings tool because of its tax advantages and investment flexibility. But to reap the rewards, it’s important to familiarize yourself with common IRA mistakes and understand how to avoid them. It’s never too soon — or too late — to get familiar with the retirement savings tools available. Knowing the basics of your IRA can help avoid some missteps. There are many intricacies to IRAs, so conside...
4 risk treatment strategies that separate proactive businesses from reactive ones A business functions within a continuous state of risk, whether it's through systems, vendors, data flows, regulatory fluctuations, or operational processes. Per Vanta's 2025 State of Trust Report—based on a survey of 3,500 business and information technology leaders—56% of organizations encounter threat activity at least once a week, while 79% encounter it at least once a month. With risks compounding, tradi...
Research on watching sports suggests World Cup fans may get a well-being boost With 2026 FIFA World Cup matches taking place across the U.S., millions of fans are crowding into living rooms, sports bars and stadiums to cheer and groan in unison. It's the same energy that takes over during the Super Bowl, March Madness, the NBA Finals and the World Series, when a city or a whole country briefly turns into one giant party. It raises the question: Can rooting for a team actually be good for you? A...
You placed the QR Code right. What next? Travel brands can spend significant time debating QR Code placement: the lobby, hotel rooms, airport gates, or café counters. When they get placement right, the next step is ensuring the scan actually performs. However, if you stop at placement, you’ll lose valuable data and conversions. A traveler can scan the same QR Code in two different moments and behave quite differently. At the shuttle stand, they’re rushed. In the hotel room, they’re relaxe...
How much do AI tokens cost businesses? AI token costs for businesses ranged from a few hundred dollars to hundreds of thousands per month in April 2026, depending on company size, model selection, and how many workflows run on AI. Based on proprietary data from Ramp, the median monthly spend was $2,246. The average monthly spend was $140,842. That gap reflects how AI spend actually distributes: Most companies are in early or moderate adoption, but a single team or automated workflow running...
How can you afford the wedding of your dreams Whether your big day is in a few months or a few years, financially planning for a wedding is a big achievement for many couples in budding relationships. It may take some work, time, and tough conversations, but on the other end of it all, waiting for you both is likely one of the most special days of your lives. A wedding is an occasion for you and your future spouse to begin making joint financial decisions, a skill that will set you up for a...
The hidden costs causing monthly housing payments to rise When people think about buying a home, the focus is on price, down payments, and the interest rate. But a growing share of today’s housing payment isn’t going toward building equity at all. In many U.S. metros, property taxes and homeowners insurance can consume more than one-third of the average monthly mortgage payment — and in some cases, nearly half. These non-mortgage costs can quietly add hundreds or even thousands of dollars to mo...
ssbooklet // Shutterstock Cities with the most UFO sightings in Alabama When pilot Kenneth Arnold took off from Chehalis, Washington, in his single-engine airplane one afternoon in June 1947, he was looking for a lost military aircraft that had crashed. But what he found was something completely different—something that would set off a cultural obsession in the U.S. that persists today. While flying around Mount Rainier, Arnold reportedly encountered nine curious, wingless objects speeding t...
6 World Cup-inspired recipes for the grill The FIFA World Cup has a way of bringing the world together through competition, tradition, and celebration. These seven globally inspired recipes showcase distinctive flavors from across the globe. They feature everything from Korean-style pork chops to Mexican carne asada to Irish comfort food. Below, Wildfire Outdoor Living shares recipes made for gathering with friends and celebrating every goal. Korean Chili Pork Chops A plate of Korean Chili Pork...
7 common landlord-tenant insurance mistakes property owners make Commercial landlord-tenant insurance can get confusing fast, especially when damage happens, and everyone assumes the other party’s policy will handle it. Your tenant may carry business insurance, but that doesn’t always mean your property is fully protected. That’s where a lot of commercial landlords get caught off guard. Maybe a tenant’s coverage falls short, or their responsibility is ambiguous in the lease. The good news is...
From moneyball to Wall Street: How big finance changed sports Walk into any top sports franchise these days, and you could be forgiven for thinking you’ve stumbled into the nerve center of a Fortune 100 firm. That’s because the people shaping the future of our favorite sporting leagues are no longer wealthy owners handing out blank cheques to the likes of Bill Belichick or Pep Guardiola. Instead, there’s a plethora of data scientists, venture capital investors, and former Wall Street kingp...
A scientific case for climate optimism with ecologist Tom Crowther Negative feedback loops, which amplify the effects of climate drivers, are among the scariest processes in climate science. Melting ice in one example exposes darker water and land, which absorb more heat, causing more ice to melt. But ecologist Tom Crowther focuses on their opposite—positive feedback loops—as one of nature’s most powerful engines of repair. Crowther, a professor of ecology at the Department of Envir...
The hidden work behind every ‘overnight’ AI startup The myth of the overnight AI startup is an easy sell. It’s inspirational. It’s dripping with genius. One day, no one has ever heard of the company, and the next day, it’s plastered across every media channel and about to turn into a unicorn. The thing is, every “overnight” success has a long backstory you don’t see: the months’ or years’ worth of work, the users who didn’t convert, the messaging that had to be rewritten, and the models that d...
Can students really skip college and earn a good living? Here’s what the data shows. For much of the last few decades, some young people have heard a simple mantra: bachelor’s or bust. That is, they were told that the best and perhaps only path to economic prosperity is through a four-year college education. Now a wide swath of politicians, educators, and philanthropists are rethinking this. Some even suggest that there are numerous lucrative jobs that don’t require a degree. A New York Times vi...
Where business aviation is climbing: The metros drawing more corporate jet traffic and high-income movers When it comes to measuring American wealth, tax return data and home-sales records are the usual go-to indicators. But by the time this information lands, it’s already a year or more after the migration trends have shifted. The growth of business aviation in specific areas offers a more unconventional and timely view. Private and corporate flying is discretionary, tracks closely to c...
Medicare now covers GLP-1s for weight loss: Here’s how to use the new Bridge program Historically, Medicare could not cover medications solely for weight loss. For Medicare enrollees interested in GLP-1 and related medications, this meant facing hundreds of dollars in out-of-pocket costs every month. But that changed on July 1, 2026, with a new pilot program that offers Medicare prescription plan enrollees access to weight-loss medications for a $50 monthly copay. Here, GoodRx, a platform for m...
A series of death cases raises questions about safety and oversight at detox centers Trust is the first thing families hand over when they walk a loved one through the doors of a detox or residential treatment center, and the decision is almost never made calmly. It tends to come within hours of an overdose or a phone call no family ever wants to take, with parents and spouses operating on the belief that medical oversight is already built into what is being provided. And the country is leaning...
School budgets are under pressure nationwide. Here’s what’s driving the cuts. School districts are under pressure this year. Some of the largest in the country are handing out pink slips. Canceling technology contracts. And even slashing specific medications from employee health plans. As many school boards debate their budgets for the upcoming school year, a Chalkbeat analysis found a common thread: More than half of the country’s 50 largest school districts are poised to or already have made...
Tailgate theft prevention: How to keep your tailgate from being stolen Truck tailgate theft is on the rise in the U.S., especially in urban settings and high-traffic areas. What was once a rare nuisance has become a frequent and frustrating crime—often occurring in broad daylight, in your own driveway, and taking less than a minute to pull off. Why, you may ask, is this crime becoming increasingly common? The answer is simple—modern truck tailgates are valuable, easy to remove, and dif...
How to support a loved one with PTSD When a family member or friend has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it can be hard to know what to do to help. You probably wish nothing more than to see them healthy and at peace. But your loved one’s diagnosis might be taking a toll on your well-being too. Providing the support your loved one needs throughout their journey starts with a deeper understanding of this condition. Rula explored how PTSD affects those living with the condition and how their...
SNAP is how millions of Americans afford food. Cuts to the program have thrown it into chaos. A missing zero put Sarah’s grocery money in jeopardy. Every month, Sarah receives $219 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for her and her 9-year-old. Sarah works two jobs in food service, one at a senior center and one at a banquet hall, and has relied on SNAP for support ever since her husband died unexpectedly about six years ago. But last year during her annual benefits renewal, o...
Alpha-gal syndrome red meat allergy from ticks Alpha-gal syndrome represents one of the most unusual allergic conditions in modern medicine. A tick bite that fundamentally changes how your immune system responds to red meat, creating delayed allergic reactions that can range from mild hives to life-threatening anaphylaxis. This tick-borne condition has emerged as a growing health concern across the southeastern United States, where outdoor enthusiasts, hunters, and hikers face increased risk of...
15% of people in the US eat in their cars. Here are the 10 states where mealtimes happen behind the wheel the most The majority of Americans eat meals in their car multiple times a week — despite the risk of stained seats and greasy steering wheels. A poll of 2,000 American adults conducted by bakery brand St Pierre from June 5-15 found that 87% of respondents eat in their car, with Georgians eating the highest percentage of drive-through dinners, gridlock-lunches and bumper-to-bumper b...
