The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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Many kids get their first phone as a gift. In fact, according to a 2022 study in JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting, 59.1% of participants (kids ages 4-18) reported getting their first cellphone simply because they asked for one. During the holiday season, asks for big-ticket items such as cellphones aren't uncommon. From the time kids understand what cellphones are and all their fun uses, they beg for one of their own—but this commitment requires careful consideration by parents before handing o...
Spooky season has arrived, and whether you dress in costume with full abandon or turn off the porch lights first thing on Halloween night, there's one thing that's unavoidable this time of year: candy. In fact, the National Retail Federation estimates that consumers will spend $3.5 billion on candy in 2024. There's candy sitting out in the office breakroom, every grocery store end cap, and in your kid's trick-or-treat bag (will they really notice if you grab a few fun size bars for yourself?). I...
They were babies and toddlers when the pandemic hit. At school, some still struggle. One minute, the four-year-old boy was giggling. The school's new behavioral specialist made a game of helping him put on his shoes, playfully sniffing them then scrunching up her face in pretend horror. A minute later, he was inconsolable, an emotional U-turn perhaps sparked by the transition to clean-up time. A teacher cradled the boy in her lap, calmly dodging his small flailing arms. He quieted when he got hi...
The American breakfast is rooted in both tradition and innovation. Throughout the 1800s, many Americans ate high-protein breakfasts like bacon and eggs. Later, as the industrial revolution led to less physically demanding work, lower-calorie breakfasts became all the rage. But as these meals mostly took place at home, decades would pass before breakfast became a staple on restaurant menus. In the mid-20th century, spots like The Original Pancake House began catering specifically to the morning...
A Federal Housing Administration mortgage loan is designed for first-time homebuyers who may need less stringent requirements to qualify, and is often available with down payments as low as 3.5%. However, these loans usually require an additional property inspection and can be seen by sellers as less competitive when compared with conventional loans or cash offers. So higher frequencies of FHA loans may indicate there is less competition in a given market. And these homeowners may also be more...
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 l...
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...
Competitive housing markets, overcrowding, and a lack of community connection are just some of the reasons why remote workers are leaving large metro areas for a better quality of life in small towns across the U.S. Many of these rural communities are stepping up to attract digital nomads, offering a blend of lower-cost living, accessible amenities, award-winning school systems, and small-town charm. Remote workers say that moving to a rural community comes with a unique set of considerations....
Work constitutes a substantial part of most of the global population's daily lives, influencing both routines and mental health. While fulfilling work can bolster mental health, data consistently shows that negative work environments—marked by discrimination, inequality, and excessive workloads, among other issues—pose a significant risk to workers' mental well-being, Charlie Health reports. According to a 2023 survey, one in three U.S. employees say their job has negatively impacted their men...
Believe it or not, if hunting were a company, it would be a Fortune 500 giant. In 2020, hunters and sport shooters pumped a whopping $149 billion into the U.S. economy. That's not pocket change—it's enough to make hunting the 52nd largest company by retail sales if it were listed on the Fortune 500, LandTrust reports. This money was spent on equipment such as shotguns and ammunition, trip-related expenses like lodging and transportation, licenses, leases, and more. But it's not just about s...
A medical team made history in September by performing the first fully robotic heart transplant at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Doctors spent two and a half hours controlling machines to replace the heart of a 16-year-old patient. The hospital claims the operation was less invasive than traditional heart surgeries, meaning the patient would feel less pain, be at less risk, and recover more quickly. Surgical procedures often require a high degree...
As the U.S. presidential election approaches, tax policy is a critical topic for voters. The candidates' tax plans not only reveal their broader economic ideologies but also provide insight into how they will manage issues like income inequality, economic growth, and fiscal responsibility. To help you understand where each candidate stands, Wealth Enhancement compares the tax policy plans proposed by Vice President Kamala Harris (D) and former President Donald Trump (R). Overview of the...
Fire. Equipment breakdown. Employee injury. Assault and battery. The day-to-day risks and threats restaurant small business owners face can feel never-ending. NEXT analyzed anonymized claims data to better understand the biggest risks and concerns of business owners, including tens of thousands of restaurants and other food service entrepreneurs. Read on for the most common and costly risks that restaurant owners face and how to protect your business. And for more restaurant insights into...
As the leaves turn and eerie decor starts to line the streets, one thing is as clear as a crystal ball: Halloween is just around the corner. As the spooky season rolls in, so does the demand for sugary treats, costumes, and decor. To understand the sweet confections people are enjoying and how they're enjoying them, Instacart calculated the share of grocery orders containing candy in October 2023 and commissioned an online survey conducted by The Harris Poll of more than 2,000 Americans. The...
From golden age movie musicals to Billboard-charting songs, diamonds are embedded in cultures throughout the world. Egyptians saw diamonds as symbols of power. Indian myths have the deity Krishna giving his beloved a diamond to reflect her beauty. Romans and Greeks thought diamonds were splinters of falling stars. Using data from the Kimberley Process, an international body meant to prevent conflict diamonds from entering the market, Jewel360 examined the growing lab-grown diamond industry and...
Similar to fashion trends and cultural entertainment, like film cameras or pedal pushers, food trends can also ebb and flow depending on Americans' ever-changing tastes, interests, and technological advancements only to fall out of favor. Cottage cheese was once a popular snack food in America (in the 1970s, the average American ate nearly 5 pounds of cottage cheese according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture). Consumption declined in the 1980s due to the popularity of yogurt—only to s...
With just a few weeks until a historic presidential election, political anxiety has reached fever pitch. Four months ago, Hers took the pulse on overall stress levels across the country and the results are eye-opening. Obviously, the political landscape has changed quite a bit in the last four months—it's been an election season marked by a series of unprecedented events: not one but two assassination attempts, a major third party candidate dropping out and endorsing one of his rivals, and of co...
The U.S. Presidential elections are approaching, and although there are many political and societal factors that may determine the outcome of an election, November 2024 may be affected by economic factors. Voters are closely monitoring the economy due to the high inflation experienced in the aftermath of COVID-19. To combat inflation, the Federal Reserve has raised interest rates 11 times since April 2022. Although inflation has declined from its 2022 peak, it remains a concern in certain...
The sudden withdrawal of President Joe Biden for reelection has turned the presidential campaign on its head, and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will now face Republican candidate Donald Trump in the November 2024 election. Harris identifies with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, which seeks more radical change than "centrist" Democrats such as President Biden. As vice president, Harris has supported Biden's policies, but advocated progressive policies earlier in her career. As U....
Consumer spending habits are an important measure of economic activity, but these trends are not necessarily in lockstep nationwide. One way to observe where consumers are spending more than they did last year is by looking at their debt. This includes their credit card balances as well as the total amount of minimum monthly payments they're expected to pay on loans such as mortgages, credit cards, personal loans, auto notes, student loans, and more. Credit Card Usage and Payment Increases in...
Associate degrees offer students flexibility to achieve different educational and vocational goals. They usually take half the time of a bachelor's degree and could help you meet the academic requirements for many entry positions into a career. Community colleges that offer associate's degrees are often a more affordable option for students. However, education can still be a hefty cost at any level, so it's important to choose a school and degree program that will help you attain the knowledge a...
There's the inflation you see, and then there's the inflation you feel. Put differently, while inflation is a perennial news item, it's not always as present in the daily lives of Americans as it has been in the years since the pandemic. After more than four years of unprecedented swings in supply, production, and prices, consumers have both seen and felt inflation. While they have borne the added burdens of shortages and sharply rising prices, it's becoming clearer that prices for most things a...
Imagine driving through a bustling intersection, free from the anxiety of red lights and the risk of head-on collisions. This peaceful scenario is becoming a reality in communities across the globe, thanks to the growing popularity of roundabouts. These circular intersections, often met with skepticism or even fear, have proven to be remarkably safer than traditional intersections. Studies have shown that roundabouts can significantly reduce the number of accidents, injuries, and fatalities. In...
Big cities in America have undergone seismic shifts in recent years, largely influenced by the shift to remote work that accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. As white-collar workers transitioned to remote and hybrid work models, many businesses found they were no longer tied to the physical office. Workers scattered beyond cities, triggering significant changes in the housing market. The migration pattern was dubbed "the donut effect" by Stanford University economist Nicholas Bloom and...
The number of Americans falling behind on their mortgage payments has risen in recent months, nearly climbing to rates last seen before the COVID-19 pandemic. Netspend analyzed data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to show the uptick in homeowners falling behind on their mortgage payments since 2021. Since lows recorded in 2021, the number of homeowners falling behind on mortgage payments has risen, as evidenced by the increasing percentage of overall balances that are delinquent each...
