The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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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...
The culinary landscape of the United States is as diverse as its population, with each state proudly boasting its own signature sandwich that often tells a rich story of culture, history, migration, and tradition. From the lobster rolls of Maine to the po'boys of Mississippi, these sandwiches have become iconic representations of their regions, celebrated by locals and sought after by food enthusiasts nationwide. The origin stories of these sandwiches are as varied as the ingredients...
As the summer break nears its end, many teachers are starting to plan for the school year ahead. Some plan not to return. The trend of teachers quitting has been noticeable on social media. Teachercertification.com reports that teachers are among the largest groups posting QuitToks, with over 72 million videos under the theme Teacher QuitTok. The videos often point out issues causing burnout for teachers. This loud quitting could impact the minds of those planning their future careers, which is...
Successful brands have long recognized the importance of giving ad campaigns a face. Though seemingly new, the trend to use influential figures in marketing stems from a storied past of using fictional characters (think Ronald McDonald or "Mikey" for Life Cereal) and celebrities in high-profile campaigns. But with the rise of social media, brands have turned to influencers—often everyday people who benefit from being more relatable, authentic, and trustworthy than untouchable celebrities—to pro...
President Joe Biden, who announced the end to his re-election bid in a letter on X, has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him on the Democratic ticket. Now, Harris' record on criminal justice — as a former prosecutor, senator and 2020 presidential candidate, as well as vice president — will face new scrutiny. In recent years, the country has witnessed protests following the murder of George Floyd, pandemic-related fluctuations in crime rates, as well as heated rhetoric over imm...
More counties in the United States experienced population growth in the last year, according to the latest Census data, even as pandemic-related moving trends begin to normalize. Counties in the South continued to experience growth, particularly in Florida, where 96% of its 67 counties gained new residents. Polk County, Florida, a suburb of Orlando, added the most, with 26,000 people moving there in 2023. Meanwhile, counties in the Midwest and Northeast continued to lose population, but at...
Purchasing a home is one of the most important investments there is. More than a place to live, homeownership is an asset with the potential to tremendously rise in value. But with home prices reaching record heights, affordability plays a huge role for buyers. The typical home value in the United States was $349,216 in February, 4.2% higher than the year before. High mortgage rates are also making monthly payments more expensive; as of March 28, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate sits at 6.79%....
You're used to seeing track and field, gymnastics, and swimming at the Summer Olympics, but did you know breakdancing is now an Olympic sport? Stacker examined the new sports and events coming to the 2024 Paris Olympics. Many sports vie to be in the Olympics for greater visibility and to fuel participation. The International Olympic Committee's revenue-sharing model doesn't hurt either—after the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, the IOC distributed nearly $523 million to the international f...
The Kentucky Derby is one of the most iconic events and horse races on the calendar. The first leg of the Triple Crown occurs annually on the first Saturday in May, when thousands of people flock to Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, to watch (and place bets on) what's often considered "The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports." The bugle sounds, the gates open, and 20 thoroughbreds sprint around the dirt track hoping to become part of history. OLBG sourced numerous online sites including The...
Every day, nine people in the United States die due to distracted driving, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Distracted driving comprises any activity that results in the driver taking their eyes off the road, whether it's eating and drinking, adjusting car controls, smoking, or fumbling with the radio—but cellphone use is by far the most dangerous. Sending a single text takes a driver's eyes off the road for an average of five seconds, according to the National H...
The year did not start well for dozens of people in 22 states who contracted salmonella from charcuterie meats in January 2024. Foodborne illness outbreaks like this make national headlines with food recalls, hospitalizations, and even deaths. About 1 in 6 Americans will become sick from a foodborne illness this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of these 48 million projected cases, most will cause mild symptoms, but 128,000 people will need hospitalization, and...
Fall-related injuries are common among senior citizens—but they don't have to be. Though an older adult visits an emergency facility in the U.S. every 11 seconds to be treated for these injuries, according to the National Council on Aging, there are tangible steps that can be taken to mitigate the risk of falling. In 2021, nearly 7 million people were injured from unintentional falls, about 2 in 5 (41%) of whom were 65 or older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Per th...
With the 2024 presidential election well underway, voters are again choosing between two familiar candidates as President Joe Biden squares off former President Donald J. Trump. Both camps are fighting for every available vote—and every campaign dollar. So far this year, Biden has raised $16.9 million from individual donors—more than 40 times what Trump has raised. However, that's mostly due to the large number of Republican primary candidates, as well as the fact that Trump donors tend to giv...
More than 39 million adults with a substance use disorder did not receive treatment in 2022, according to the latest data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Nearly 95% of those not receiving treatment didn't believe they needed help—but for 1.8 million adults who thought they did, barriers to treatment left them unwilling or unable to get support. Counseling Schools analyzed findings from the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (the most recent data avail...
