The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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Marijuana use is at an all-time high—Here's how it affects mental health Marijuana use is at an all-time high in the United States. In the past decade alone, Americans' reported marijuana smoking has more than doubled, increasing from 7% to 13% from 2013 to 2023, according to a national poll from Gallup. And, a separate study found that half of adults (50%) now say they have tried marijuana at some point in their lives. The reported increase in marijuana use, known formally as cannabis, p...
For centuries, sports have impacted the lives and cultures of people worldwide. From the first Olympic games in Greece as far back as the 700s B.C. to the formation of the National Association of Base Ball Players—the first professional sports league in America—in the 1800s, the love for sports has always been apparent. What makes sports so popular? Why do so many people gather around a big screen or spend hundreds of dollars on tickets to appear in person at an event? While there doesn't see...
Despite 13% of the American population living with a disability, stigma and discrimination persist. With 44 million Americans living with some form of disability, it is more critical than ever to understand their needs. To give Americans a better idea of accommodations needed in their communities, accessiBe charted disability statistics in Alabama using Census Bureau data. This state-level story is part of a broader national analysis. Shares of state populations with certain disabilities are...
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...
Many Colorado high school graduates have headed into this summer uncertain about college. Some still might need an estimate of the cost, commit to enroll at a school, or finish tasks, like turning in immunization records and high school transcripts, before they show up in the fall. While students and families might fear they're behind for the fall, college advisers and admissions experts say they shouldn't worry after a college-going process complicated by Free Application for Federal Student...
For summer travelers, Way.com provides a guide to the best nature destinations in the U.S., from Pigeon Forge,Tennessee, to Asheville, North Carolina, and Page, Arizona. This list was compiled from popular U.S. destinations with the highest number of nature recommendations on the Booking.com platform and includes mountains, desert landscapes, and woodlands. These tempting destinations offer plenty to get you out of your comfy chair and into the great outdoors. Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, Tennessee...
Way.com reports that top earners among the highest-paid athletes include: - Cristiano Ronaldo– $260 million - Jon Rahm – $218 million - Lionel Messi – $135 million - LeBron James – $128 million - Giannis Antetokounmpo – $111 million Observations - The fact that the top two athletes based in Saudi Arabia are on this list shows their financial might. - It's cool to see two basketball players on the list. It shows how well the NBA is doing financially. Soccer Stars Dominate Soccer players a...
Americans' attitudes about life after work have shifted some in the last two years as higher costs of living force them to reconsider retirement plans despite stable incomes and a healthy stock market. Wealth Enhancement analyzed Employee Benefits Research Institute data to illustrate how American confidence in retirement has changed amid rising inflation. The survey included responses from more than 2,500 Americans, roughly half of which were workers and the other half retirees. The good news...
With higher rates of inflation, you may find that common purchases are taking up a larger percentage of your budget. One cost that may have creeped up is your grocery bill. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, over the last year, the consumer price index for food has increased 2.2% as costs are still on the rise. While everyone is experiencing an increase in prices, some states provide more affordable options than others. To discover which states have the most affordable groceries,...
There are several electric cars with solar panels available today — some recharge the smaller 12-volt battery that runs your air conditioning, while others can top you up with a few miles of electric range — but at this time, no commercially available solar panels are capable of fully powering an electric vehicle (EV). That said, reports Edmunds, this concept isn't as far away as it might've been 20 years ago. Here's why. In theory, the dream of solar energy is an exciting one. You put a few...
Since the days of silent film, music has been instrumental in setting the mood for moviegoers. It is one of the many ways audiences are able to determine whether a scene is meant to be serious, spooky, or hysterical. While many aspects of filmmaking have changed and modernized since the turn of the 20th century, the importance of songs has not. A perfectly placed track—whether it's tear-jerking lyrics over a moving melody or a fast-paced power ballad that pulls audiences into the a...
For decades, the field of artificial intelligence seemed stagnant. Researchers started gaining momentum in the early 2010s as deep learning proved useful in real-world applications such as speech recognition. The real inflection point, however, did not come until November 2022, when OpenAI launched ChatGPT. The chatbot represented a huge leap in AI's capabilities. The ability to build intelligent systems out of computer chips, a goal that seemed decades away, now seems within reach. ChatGPT's...
Throughout the history of college sports, money has always stoked controversy. Since the NCAA was formed, student-athletes have been prevented from earning anything apart from their scholarships. No jobs or sponsorships allowed. And yet, over and over, numerous pay-to-play scandals saturated the billion-dollar landscape. Within the last two decades alone, high-profile players from major institutions were caught selling memorabilia, taking thousands of dollars from marketing representatives, and...
With trucks carrying more than 70% of America's freight by weight, they're an essential part of the nation's transportation of goods. The long-haul drivers behind the wheel, who are responsible for getting those goods from point A to point B, are also essential. They often have grueling routes that require them to sleep in their cabs while driving cross-country—if, that is, they can find a place to park. Confronted with strict work and rest hours regulations, many truckers, unable to find s...
What makes a great golf course? Is it the conditions? The architecture? The difficulty? In most cases, there's more than one specific answer. Whether playing 18 holes at your local municipal course or enjoying the day at a pristine country club, there are a few guidelines and factors to consider when ranking your links experience. On the technical side, it's important to consider a course's variety—its obstacles (a well-placed bunker or water hazard), its distances (a diverse group of par-3s a...
The Major League Baseball draft is unique among professional sports drafts. The 30 organizations pick teenagers and college students who will not join their big league clubs for years—if ever. These athletes will spend that time honing their craft in the minor leagues, where long bus rides and minuscule paychecks are the norm. A few will move quickly up the ranks, seizing playing time opportunities to advance their careers and making their names known to scouts, fans, and other observers a...
Way.com reports that top earners among the highest-paid athletes include: - Cristiano Ronaldo– $260 million - Jon Rahm – $218 million - Lionel Messi – $135 million - LeBron James – $128 million - Giannis Antetokounmpo – $111 million Observations - The fact that the top two athletes based in Saudi Arabia are on this list shows their financial might. - It's cool to see two basketball players on the list. It shows how well the NBA is doing financially. Soccer Stars Dominate Soccer players a...
American roads are dominated by gasoline-powered vehicles, but that is gradually changing. The government is placing increasingly strict requirements for vehicle emissions on car manufacturers, which has accelerated their output of electric vehicles (EVs). At the same time, U.S. consumers are driving demand for EVs, buying more every year. However, interest and adoption rates are uneven across the country. There are many barriers to buying EVs, including higher purchase prices, concerns about ra...
Up until a few years ago, when people visited Lavalier's Berry Patch outside Grand Rapids, Minnesota, to pick strawberries, lingonberries, and apples, Stuart Lavalier would tell them to look for a red building next to County Road 91 to find the turn-off to his farm. Now, he tells them to look for the solar panels. In early 2022, Lavalier received a $17,000 federal grant to install three solar arrays that make 27 kilowatts of electricity, enough to power his entire farm. Lavalier is one of...
As baby boomers age, the majority want to continue living independently in their homes, otherwise known as aging in place. About 78% of homeowners over the age of 60 prefer this option over moving into a senior or assisted-living facility, according to a 2024 survey from real estate company Redfin. Many Americans want to age in place to preserve a sense of independence, remain connected to existing communities, and avoid the high cost of long-term care. The median monthly cost of an...
Fewer than 60 current student-athletes qualified to participate in the 2024 Olympic Games for Team USA, all of whom will officially compete in the international games. For most of these students, the Paris games, which will be held from July 26 through Aug. 11, will mark the first time they compete in the Olympics. They join a larger list of more than 300 former student-athletes who will also represent Team USA this year. Some schools, like Stanford, Princeton and Harvard, have multiple...
State Republican leaders are cracking down on rural members of their own party who oppose universal school vouchers, which allow families to take a portion of their state's education funding away from public schools to pay for their child's private education. Rural state legislators have been more likely to oppose school voucher laws because they worry the programs will weaken local public schools without ensuring educational investments for rural students. Opposition to vouchers has been a...
The Southeastern U.S. was responsible for nearly 90% of the population growth that occurred in rural America last year, a Daily Yonder analysis of 2023 Census Bureau data shows. From 2022 to 2023, nonmetropolitan (rural) counties in the South grew by 0.54%, adding an estimated 95,800 residents. Nationally, rural America gained 108,000 residents, meaning rural counties outside the South added only 12,200 people. Rural America overall grew by about 0.24% last year, as we previously reported. The...
A refinery outage in Illinois is still causing higher gasoline prices in the Midwest while the rest of the country enjoys prices that have more or less plateaued for the last month. Prices have risen the most in the last week in states including Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana. But prices remain lower, overall, compared to a year ago by nearly 20 cents. "Oil prices have fallen quite a bit lately," AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross said in a statement Thursday. "In April, a barrel of oil...
The combination of inflation and increased work-from-home opportunities brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted migration patterns across the United States, the effects of which are still being felt in 2024, according to the latest Census Bureau data. In the first year of the pandemic, migration out of densely populated, expensive cities like New York and San Francisco was especially notable. Many moved to Sun Belt states where the weather is warmer and the cost of living significantly...
