The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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Unlike hospital and outpatient care settings, where staffing has returned to or surpassed levels seen prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing home staffing continues to experience shortages. A quarter of all nursing homes in the United States in recent years reported "critical" staff shortages amid growing demand from an aging population for long-term health care. To better explore the working conditions of registered nurses in nursing homes, Vivian Health examined payroll data compiled by the...
Unemployment rates are rising across U.S. metropolitan areas, provoking alarm across the nation and likely leading to interest rate cuts in September. As of July, unemployment rates increased in 350 out of 389 U.S. metros areas—including 47 of the 51 largest metros, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Alabama, using BLS data. Counties are ranked by their pre...
In many parts of the country, you can't drive on an interstate without spotting a semitruck. But have you ever wondered where they are hauling all that stuff? Truck Parking Club used Bureau of Transportation Statistics data to identify the top 20 destinations of freight from Alabama as part of a broader national analysis. The analysis only includes domestic freight. Most of the time, semis are headed somewhere within the same state. In all but one, the highest share of freight was delivered to...
Road trips are more popular than ever—and travelers often have a four-legged family member (or two!) along for the ride. Over the Fourth of July weekend this summer, AAA estimated that more than 60 million Americans drove to their vacation destinations, a new record for travelers hitting the road during the holiday. At the same time, Americans are forgoing leaving their pets at home. This may be in part because families simply have more fur babies than at any time over the past few years. T...
You may have heard that red cars have the highest insurance costs. This is often stated as a fact, with the explanation that police officers view people with red cars as more reckless and likely to speed. It is important to know that this is a misconception. Red cars cost the same to insure as any other color car and are not more expensive to insure. In fact, it is only in certain instances that you may expect your car insurance rates to increase as a result of the color of your car. In this...
At Bullard High School in Fresno, California, it's easy to see the benefits of banning students' cellphones. Bullying is down and socialization is up, principal Armen Torigian said. Enforcing the smartphone restrictions? That's been harder. Instead of putting their devices in magnetically locked pouches, like they're supposed to, some kids will stick something else in there instead, like a disused old phone, a calculator, a glue bottle or just the phone case. Others attack the pouch, pulling at...
Excluding registered and practical nurses, physical therapists (PTs) consistently rank among the top five largest healthcare occupations that require licensure in the United States. The number of PTs increases each year, as does the American population, including a growing number of aging adults who are more likely to need physical therapy. Becoming a PT requires extensive education, resulting in a doctoral or professional degree, making it a lengthy and expensive process to enter the...
Yard chores might seem mundane, but unsafe practices can lead to injury, illness, or even death. Over the past decade, 3.2 million U.S. residents have been injured while working on their lawns or in their gardens. Lawn mower accidents cost patients an average of $37,000 in medical treatment. LawnStarter surveyed over 1,000 U.S. homeowners about their history, habits, and concerns related to lawn care accidents and injuries. See the results below, including demographic insights such as age,...
Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy. Defined by the Small Business Administration as firms with fewer than 500 employees, small businesses make up 99.9% of all companies. They also fuel employment, with nearly half (46%) of private sector workers employed at small businesses, accounting for 43.5% of the country's overall economic output. U.S. NAICS Codes analyzed data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to see which states have the healthiest environments for small...
5 hours. That's the amount of time America's "sandwich generation" spends caring for both children and aging parents every week, according to a New York Life Wealth survey. These caretakers of multigenerational households are struggling under the financial and emotional burden of their responsibilities—especially when it comes to saving for the future. Caring.com analyzed resources from the IRS, Family Caregiver Alliance, National Council on Aging, AARP, and other organizations supporting a...
From bags of kibble in the grocery store to modern home sizes, things are getting smaller—and evidently, Americans are starting to look for furry friends that match. Small breeds like terriers and toys have largely dethroned the retrievers that once dominated the most popular breed rankings. This is a continuation of a trend that began in 2022 when the Labrador retriever lost its 31-year-long streak as #1 to the French bulldog, according to the American Kennel Club. This shift may be p...
The "most unusual job market in modern American history." The "Great American Labor Shortage." That's how news reports were describing the massive disruption to the job market delivered by the COVID-19 pandemic by the latter half of 2021, when almost half of American companies were reporting a worker shortage. Since then, the job market has shifted back toward something more akin to what the U.S. was used to before the pandemic arrived. But some industries and parts of the country are still...
In July, global temperatures continued to climb to their highest levels on record, marking 14 consecutive months of record-high temperatures, according to a National Centers for Environmental Information report. As temperatures climb, so do concerns over the effect of these hot weather days on learning. "Kids are coming to school and not even having their basic needs of comfort met; and if they don't have their needs met, they can't progress and learn and do all of those things we want them to...
The United States is facing a caregiving crisis. As America's population ages and adults are staying active for longer, many are choosing to live in assisted-living facilities. Assisted-living facilities offer 24-hour care but are less hands-on than nursing homes. They can offer the best of both worlds for a generation that values independence. Still, low staffing levels are causing facilities to raise prices and, in some cases, close their doors entirely, exacerbating an already severe care gap...
It takes a lot of money to win elections. The 2022 election cycle was the priciest nonpresidential election cycle in history, with spending reaching nearly $9 billion, according to an OpenSecrets analysis. Effective outreach and messaging requires ads, stickers, campaign staff, pens, and more—even for last-minute high-profile switch-ups such as the one the United States is currently facing. With Biden's decision to step aside, Kamala Harris' campaign has received record-breaking c...
Equity in American healthcare is a work in progress. There are still some areas where it's much easier and more convenient to access medical professionals and pharmacies. Improved access to care typically leads to better health outcomes, as well as an increased likelihood of people actually receiving preventative care and screenings. Which states are falling short when it comes to accessible healthcare? Hers looked at four data sets to rank all 50 states from worst to best. - Shortage of...
America is experiencing a mental health crisis, and mental health struggles amongst the nation's youth are intensifying. Student mental health is in a precarious place, with children and teens exposed to more information, more social contact, and more discord than ever before. The student mental health crisis is pervasive. The good news is that Americans are more aware of the importance of mental health now more than ever. Age-old taboos are finally lifting. Even the federal government is...
Between new stadiums, ownership changes, and player salaries, the economics of football are changing from the top down. For fans, this means increased costs to both see NFL games in person and watch their favorite NFL teams on TV. To see exactly how prices have risen for NFL fans, the FinanceBuzz team compared the average costs of attending an NFL game in person, including tickets, beer, hot dogs, and parking, for every NFL team over the past decade. This helped determine which NFL teams' fans...
Angela Girol has been teaching fourth grade in Pittsburgh for over two decades. Over the years she's noticed a change at her school: It's getting hotter. Some days temperatures reach 90 degrees Fahrenheit in her classroom which, like many on the East Coast, isn't air-conditioned. When it's hot, she said, kids don't eat, or drink enough water. "They end up in the nurse's office because they're dizzy, they have a headache, their stomach hurts — all because of heat and dehydration," she said. To c...
The explosive growth in America's senior population reflects increased longevity and health. Driven by baby boomers who began hitting senior status in 2011, Census Bureau data showed the 65 and over demographic grew by nearly 40% from 2010 to 2020. That's compared to an overall population growth of just 7.4%, the most growth seniors have seen in a century. If the trend continues, Americans aged 65 and over will comprise 22% of the population by 2040. The average life expectancy for a 65-year-old...
For athletes and sports fans alike, the Olympic Games are the pinnacle of sporting events. Every four years, more than 10,000 athletes from nearly every country come together for the Summer Olympics and compete in dozens of sports. With over 3 billion people watching, it's arguably the most popular sporting event in the world, showcasing sports and countries both large and small on the global stage. Every Olympics has great competitions, but upsets are the most memorable. Underdogs take the...
The American population is aging—and much-needed mental health care providers are in short supply. Earlier this year, the federal government rolled out new rules to help older Americans access more services and give health care professionals the flexibility to help those in their community with the greatest needs. But better health care access only works if the people poised to benefit understand the new rules. It's not unusual for Medicare patients to need to advocate for themselves in h...
The first full school year since OpenAI launched ChatGPT on Nov. 20, 2022 has come to a close. Since then, educators' attitudes toward artificial intelligence have changed. For example, New York City Public Schools was the first district to ban ChatGPT in January 2023, only to lift the ban later that year in May. In fact, 70% of educators in New York report that AI has actually increased their passion in teaching. It's not just New York, though. Data shows that, across the country, educators'...
The Fourth of July can be a miserable day for dogs. The fireworks make scaredy-cats out of many canines. That's because dogs, like humans, are hardwired to be afraid of sudden, loud noises. It is what keeps them safe. Some dogs, though, take that fear to the extreme with panting, howling, pacing, whining, hiding, trembling and even self-injury or escape. And, unlike humans, they don't know that the fanfare on the Fourth is not a threat. Dogs hear the fireworks and process it as if their world...
Which cities are best for grilling a steak outside this summer? With summer here and National Grilling Month around the corner, Lawn Love ranked 2024's Best Cities for Grilling Meat. We compared nearly 470 of the biggest U.S. cities based on 4 meaty categories. We looked at local interest in grilling, access to butcheries and home improvement chains, and the average cost of meat in the area. We also considered ideal weather conditions for cooking outdoors, among 17 total metrics. Fire up the...
