The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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Amid shrinking households and declining birth rates, one family member is increasingly taking center stage: the pet. In fact, half of Americans consider their pets to be as much a part of their family as human members, according to research from the Pew Research Center. Alongside their elevated status, pets are enjoying elevated living: American Pet Products Association data shows the American pet industry has surged from $90.5 billion in 2018 to an estimated $150.6 billion in 2024. Part of...
Cracks are beginning to appear in how consumers handle their debt as higher costs of living and inflation take a toll on consumers—and they're most pronounced among younger borrowers. Netspend analyzed Federal Reserve Bank of New York data to illustrate how different generations handle debt payments amid higher prices and high interest rates. While it may seem counterintuitive, debt can be a useful tool. It allows consumers to bridge financial gaps in an emergency or invest in a home with the c...
Alabama is the #7 state for fatal car accidents in America, experiencing 1.8 fatal crashes per 10,000 residents in 2022. Overall, 988 people died in Alabama car accidents that year. Truck Parking Club used data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to rank the cities in Alabama with the highest accident rates as part of a larger national analysis. Rankings are based on the rate of accidents per 10,000 residents in 2022. Ties were broken by the total number of fatal accidents,...
Far from the Southern border states of previous elections, a rush to court Latino votes ahead of Nov. 5 is concentrating in Pennsylvania's hotly contested "Latino Belt"—and both camps have firmly planted their flags. In June, the Trump campaign opened an outreach office in Reading, Pennsylvania, home to one of the largest Latino populations in the Keystone State. Nearly 7 in 10 residents of the former factory town are Latino, with many of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent. "Latino Americans f...
Disney is raising prices and shutting out users who've been saving money by sharing their accounts with family and friends. The company is following Netflix's lead by announcing changes to its Disney+ app that will mirror its streaming competitors' practices. There is good news, however. While rolling out this new price increase and password-sharing crackdown, Disney+ will also allow users to add friends or family outside of their house to their account—for a price. Giant Freakin Robot p...
Legendary actress Bette Davis famously said, "Getting old ain't for sissies"—and neither is saving enough money for a fulfilling retirement. Building a retirement nest egg takes determination, willpower, and a well-considered plan. But it can be done. Turns out baby boomers—the generation whose youngest members are in their early 60s—have a pattern of behaviour and some wisdom to impart. If retirement planning is one of your top goals, Money.ca shares five savvy moves that made many boome...
Despite the traditional wedding vow adage, many marriages do not last until "death do us part." The famous statistic that half of all marriages end in divorce is a bit of an exaggeration, but research suggests that at least 41% of first marriages in the United States dissolve—meaning odds are you know someone (perhaps yourself) who is divorced. As divorce is now common, understanding its psychological impact has become increasingly important. The 20th century saw a spike in divorce rates, p...
CoPilot's October Monthly Incentives Radar highlights the top financing and cash-back incentives available to consumers for popular vehicles. With car prices lingering near record highs, incentives have become an important tool for manufacturers and dealers to bring in more customers who have been priced out of the competitive new car market, and jump start sluggish sales. While the current average interest rate for a new car loan is 6.84%, automakers are offering more financing deals to bring...
Imagine for a moment you could perceive the world like a bee. Bees have the fastest color vision in the animal world, about five times faster than humans', enabling them to navigate the world with extreme efficiency and speed. While humans might let their gaze wander over a flower field and appreciate the colors, bees perceive each individual flower as they zip by. Also, if you were a bee, you couldn't see red, but you would see ultraviolet light humans can't see, so you'd be able to detect...
Hamburgers are one of the most iconic staples of American cuisine, embodying the country's values of convenience, indulgence, and comfort. The simple sandwich has roots that stretch back to the 19th century. Though its exact origin is debated, the idea of placing a beef patty between two slices of bread took hold in the U.S. in the late 1800s, with various claims attributing its invention to home cooks or vendors at fairs. By the early 20th century, the hamburger became a part of American...
"If it isn't safe for you, it isn't safe for your pets" is an adage that bears repeating, especially when faced with the unexpected. You've likely been inundated with all kinds of disaster plans: what to do in case of floods, wildfires, hurricanes, and the like. That's especially true today, when climate change has caused instances of natural disasters to increase dramatically. Last year saw a record 28 major climate and weather events in the U.S., including wildfires, cold waves, droughts,...
Whether you're a country music fan or not, nearly everyone has heard of the icons of the genre: Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, and Johnny Cash, to name a few. But what about Deana Carter? Or Jamey Johnson? Sometimes, artists who once appeared to be on the cusp of country music greatness lose that momentum in the highly competitive industry, only to become dreaded one-hit wonders. Take the duo The Wreckers, for example. They released their hit "Leave the Pieces" in 2006, only to unexpectedly break u...
As he prepared recently to sign a bill requiring public schools, colleges and universities to display a state-approved version of the Ten Commandments in classrooms, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry made it clear he was spoiling for a fight. "I can't wait to be sued," he told attendees at a GOP fundraiser. The 74 reports that within days, nine families with children in Louisiana schools delivered. Represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for Separation of Church & State and...
When summer starts with a stifling heat wave, as many places are seeing in 2024, it can pose risks for just about anyone who spends time outside, whether they're runners, people who walk or cycle to work, outdoor workers or kids playing sports. Writing for The Conversation, Susan Yeargin, an associate professor of athletic training at the University of South Carolina and an expert on heat-related illnesses, explains what everyone should think about before spending time outside in a heat wave...
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...
Trine Krebs is sometimes called "the leek woman," or even Miss Dry-Legume, of Denmark. The 48-year-old has for decades traveled around the country as, in her words, a "food inspirer," proselytizing about all things vegetables. "It's very important to have locally grown food," says Krebs, who has a 12-hectare farm replete with 50 different vegetables on the outskirts of Copenhagen. "It's something that I'm concerned about; what is seen in our landscapes." So when, in October 2023, the Danish gove...
In an era of cupcake wars, crazy creations from cake bosses, and never-ending experimental combinations—think cronuts, brookies, or PieCaken—you might wonder whether the only desserts that matter these days are ones that go viral on social media. But the idea of eating sweets dates back to ancient times and is linked to many culinary practices, like the Romans and Greeks partaking in honey-drizzled pastries. Then, there's the aristocrats' influence of eating sweets after a meal and medieval nob...
The average cost for a gallon of gasoline hasn't budged in at least a week nationwide. That story looks slightly different, however, in Midwestern states surrounding the Great Lakes region, where a refinery outage is pushing prices upward. The ExxonMobil refinery in Illinois suffered a power outage in a storm two weeks ago, which has kept it offline ever since. Exxon has yet to say when the facility might be back in operation. The company previously said the earliest it could be restored was by...
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...
Many families around the country have traditions involving restaurants, whether it's returning to the same spot year after year for birthdays, Sunday morning brunches at a favorite local diner, or Friday night pies at a neighborhood pizza place. While plenty of diners like to visit the same restaurants every year, every month, or even every week, others also want to try something new. Consumers today are "looking for new flavor experiences that excite their palates and provide a respite from...
Amid a Supreme Court term that broadly diminished tools for holding powerful corporations accountable for their actions, one decision could have the opposite effect. The Marshall Project reports that the justices' ruling in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma raises the bar for companies trying to shield their wealth by filing for bankruptcy when faced with lawsuits alleging harm. Bankruptcy is a complex legal maneuver filed in federal bankruptcy court that allows a person or entity to seek relief from...
The mere thought of barbecue's smoky scents and intoxicating flavors is enough to get most mouths watering. Summer is here, and that means it is barbecue season for many people in the U.S. While cooking on a grill may seem simple, there is a lot of chemistry that sets barbecue apart from other cooking methods and results in such a delicious experience, writes Kristine Nolin, an associate professor of chemistry at the University of Richmond in Virginia, for The Conversation. Cooking with fire...
Historically, drug discovery has been characterized by high costs, lengthy timelines, and considerable uncertainty. Traditional methodologies often rely on trial and error, involving extensive laboratory research, animal testing, and multiple phases of human clinical trials. This painstaking process can span over a decade and requires significant financial investment. Yet, the success rate for drugs to make it from discovery to market remains low, with only 10 to 15 percent of drugs actually...
Preterm births in the U.S. are on the rise—and experts aren't entirely sure what's driving the increase. Northwell Health partnered with Stacker to explore the rising rate of preterm births in the U.S. using CDC data. In 2022, 1 in 10 babies born in the U.S. were premature, an 8% increase since 2014 after a steady decline in the early 2010s. Babies born at less than 37 weeks of gestation are considered preterm; early term births, or those between 37 and 38 in utero, increased by 20% during t...
The graduating class of 2024 may have the most trouble finding a job postgraduation compared to the last five years of graduating classes before them. JobTest.org analyzed survey data from the National Association of Colleges and Employers to show how hiring projections for recent college graduates this year compare to previous years. NACE conducts a survey on hiring intentions for full-time and internship positions annually. Today's college graduates are entering the workforce as the labor...
