The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
Sorted by date Results 376 - 400 of 776
There's nothing quite like hitting the open road in a lifted truck, but not if you're worried about getting stopped by the cops. Every state has its own lifted truck laws, and no two states are exactly alike. Even if you plan on spending most of your time off-road, you need to comply with your state's rules and guidelines for lifted trucks. You may scoff at the idea of anyone telling you what you can and can't do with your truck, but these laws put an emphasis on safety. They're designed to...
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 through the sky at 1,200 mph, faster than any plane at the time could. Arnold...
It seems there isn't a day that goes by without a headline about contaminated food resulting in a recall or outbreak. In mid-November 2024, the Food and Drug Administration began investigating an E. coli outbreak from organic carrots sold at popular grocery stores like Kroger, Wegmans, Sprouts, and Trader Joe's, affecting people in more than a third of U.S. states. Earlier in 2024, a listeria outbreak from Boar's Head deli meats resulted in the recall of 7 million pounds of meat, 61 reported...
The holiday shopping season can be the most wonderful time of year for consumers—but it's the most important time of year for small business owners. Yet many small business owners find themselves in a tight spot, as the growth of online shopping transforms major retailers into the go-to for shoppers seeking both convenience and good deals. While e-commerce platforms take precedence, many small businesses don't even have a website—and those that do may lack digital accessibility. This puts the...
Pivot counties are the 206 counties nationwide Ballotpedia identified as having voted for Barack Obama (D) in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections and Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Media and political observers sometimes refer to these counties as swing counties. Trump won 179 pivot counties in all three of his presidential runs and won 175 of them by a larger margin in 2024 than in 2020. Harris won by a smaller margin than Biden in seven of the nine pivot counties they each won. Overall, pivot...
In the morning before class starts, one by one the students at the Würenloser Gesamtschule near Zürich in Switzerland turn off their smartphones and drop them into a simple wooden box at the front of their classroom. The devices will remain there until the gong rings at the end of their school day. "I don't even take it to school anymore," one 12th-grader says. "It only distracts me." His peers agree. "We talk more with each other instead of everybody staring at their screens," his friend s...
Taking photographs used to be a careful, conscious act. Photos were selective, frozen moments in time carefully archived in albums and frames. Now, taking a photograph is almost as effortless and common as breathing—it's something that people do all the time in the age of smartphone cameras with seemingly endless digital film. But the downside to capturing every moment is that it creates a mountain of those moments to save for the future. Those photos can be easily lost if they're not a...
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...
A courtyard at Harlem's Polo Grounds Towers, home to roughly 4,000 residents, was once characterized by several dilapidated wooden benches with remnants of red paint from years ago. Now, after a four-month community design process to engage residents, the courtyard has been transformed into Sprout, a playscape created by and for the residents of the public housing development, Next City reports Finished in June, Sprout features four bright green play structures built on the foundations of the...
The number of books banned in public schools over the past year skyrocketed to more than 10,000, with two states—Iowa and Florida—responsible for most of them, according to preliminary findings released by PEN America on Monday. The report comes during Banned Books Week, which first began in 1982 to raise awareness about the importance of free and openly accessible information. The rise in banned books during the 2023-'24 school year—nearly tripling from 3,362 bans PEN recorded the previ...
College comes with a lot of expenses. On top of tuition, fees, books, and housing, students also want to go out and have fun. But going shopping, to see a movie, or to meet friends for lunch or dinner isn't always easy on a student budget. Fortunately, there are widely available deals and discounts designed just for college students. Here's a roundup of student discounts from SoFi. Key Points - Major retailers like Amazon and Sam's Club offer special pricing and membership benefits to college...
Key Takeaways - Laxatives are designed for constipation, not weight loss, and can lead to serious side effects and dangerous complications when used incorrectly. - When you lose weight on laxatives, it's from water weight and stool, not body fat. This weight loss is temporary, and you'll likely regain the pounds once you rehydrate your body. The use of laxatives for weight loss is one of those diet fads that never seem to go away. They've been touted by celebrities, on TV, and in film as a way...
Quick question: How long does it take you to look at an email after you receive it? Okay, now how about a text message? For most, it's no contest; we check our emails when we get around to it, but we'll typically look at a text right away. That's why many people are receiving a lot more marketing texts lately. Companies have discovered that texts are a powerful way to reach customers and, more importantly, to get a response. Unfortunately, scammers and hackers have learned this, too, so understa...
The holiday shopping season in the United States has steadily shifted earlier each year, with consumers now seeing Christmas decorations, holiday discounts, and seasonal marketing campaigns as early as September or October. This trend, often referred to as Christmas creep, has altered the retail landscape significantly, influencing consumer behavior and shaping retail strategies for major supermarket chains. A range of studies have explored these trends, providing valuable insights into the...
In 2024, staying small on purpose seems to be paying off big for small businesses. They're keeping operations small and targeting niche, highly specialized customers. And some business owners find this strategy results in more time, energy, and money to intentionally capitalize on unique, small cap opportunities. The data tells the story of growth in small businesses for the year. According to NEXT, the Small Business Administration (SBA) reports awarding 38,000 SBA 7(a) loans under $150,000:...
Inflation has strained consumers' finances in recent years. It is also having an impact on the charities that depend on donations to do their mission-driven work. Even as charities feel the economic squeeze, however, those in the grant-giving, civil rights, social causes, and educational sectors have seen substantial growth in donations over the last year. Windfall analyzed Giving USA data, a collaborative study between Bank of America and Indiana University, as well as its own proprietary data...
Retirement will likely be the most significant expense of your lifetime, which means saving for retirement is a big job. This is especially true if you envision a retirement that is rich with experiences such as traveling through Europe or spending time with your grown children and grandkids. A retirement savings plan can help you achieve these financial goals and stay on track. There are all types of retirement plans to help you build your wealth, from 401(k) to Individual Retirement Accounts,...
Many movies, cartoons, and television shows often depict pets in a lighthearted way, showcasing their cheerfulness and laissez-faire attitude. On the contrary, modern science suggests that pets possess a deeper level of intelligence than we ever dared to imagine, and they experience the range of feelings we once assumed were just felt by humans. "The visible expression of grief is widespread in the animal kingdom," Barbara J. King, author of "How Animals Grieve," told Stacker. "A cat wails in...
The older adult population in the United States is rapidly increasing as baby boomers continue to age. In 2020, the population of people over 65 grew almost five times faster than the total population during the century from 1920 to 2020, according to the 2020 Census. As more people contemplate old age, nursing homes or in-home care with trusted family members quickly come to mind. However, an alternative approach that began in San Francisco's Chinatown community is growing in popularity....
Car buyers weary of electric vehicles often share the same concern: "What if I run out of juice and there's nowhere to charge my car?" That was a fair question in 2007. At the time, there were only 139 public EV charging stations. But in the years since, public and private entities have invested billions into building out charging infrastructure to make EVs a more practical option. As of 2023, there are over 64,000 public EV charging stations across the U.S.—more than twice the number in 2020 an...
Financial scams are an unfortunate reality of life for consumers. According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Canadians reported $530.4 million (CND) in financial fraud losses in 2022, a 170.2% increase in just one year. And the situation in the U.S. is even bleaker, with the Federal Trade Commission reporting Americans lost more than $10 billion (USD) from financial fraud in 2023. While some scams are obvious, others can be rather convincing. It doesn't help that scams are constantly...
Voters decided on 12 education-related state ballot measures—the most in 18 years— on the Nov. 5, 2024, general election. Ballotpedia shares are some highlights: - Two ballot measures regarding school choice programs and one to repeal a school choice program were defeated. - One ballot measure to make school board elections partisan was defeated. - One measure to grant a local school board the authority to manage, sell, or lease land in their district was approved. Measures were on the bal...
If you live in a part of the country that sees a lot of snowfall every winter, then you're used to putting on your determined face and venturing out behind the wheel into the blustery, great white void. Careful, skilled driving sometimes only goes so far—sometimes a vehicle that's specifically fit for good all-weather driving performance is needed. Especially if plowing is a bit lacking in your area. Luckily, there are plenty of great SUVs on the market today that offer terrific performance f...
With interest rates reaching historic lows during the pandemic era, home prices skyrocketed—often creating highly competitive markets for first-time homebuyers. Prices generally plateaued as the Federal Reserve worked to counter inflation in 2022 by increasing interest rates. Now, the Fed has recently begun decreasing rates with a 50 basis point reduction in September. Despite lower inflation and interest rates, data suggests that home prices in some neighborhoods may continue to go up over t...
Traditionally, for Christian-Jewish families, the month of December is referred to as a "dilemma." This time of year brings discussion about whether to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or both, which often centers on one key question: "To tree, or not to tree?" Of course, interfaith families negotiate these kinds of decisions all year round: Should we observe your traditions, my traditions, both, or neither? On some level, these are questions that any family—blood or chosen—has to navigate, eve...
