(NewsUSA) - I’ll Have a Double by Juliana Hastings

It might be shocking to learn that a nice glass of Pinot Noir at the end of a stressful day can be related to breast cancer. Here’s a brave and eye-opening journey from a survivor of self-assessment that acknowledges the degree to which women are creating a hospitable environment in their bodies for the disease to recur. The book is bracing, instructive, and inspiring.

In simple, relatable language, the book distills decades of research papers from universities and medical research centers in a way that will convince even those most reluctant to recognize the links between lifestyle choices, alcohol and breast cancer. The fight is never over, so survivor women must fight the fight for the rest of their lives. Fight the probability of recurrence, fight the cancer catalysts over which they have control and fight to stay alive. It feels good to do so! Purchase at https://bit.ly/3TcMbzS.

Something Better by Diane Parrish

It arose not from desire or even interest, but from curiosity: what would happen . . . if she just let it?

The bubble in which Ruth and David live their tidy suburban lives is about to burst. A tragic automobile accident shatters their insular world and sends David into an emotional tailspin. An unexpected job opportunity sends Ruth to the West Coast, waylaying her desire to become a mother and making her increasingly unavailable for David's needs.

Thrown off balance, David develops a fixation on Annabeth Brady, the daughter of the friends lost that fateful night. As he and Ruth drift further apart, each must decide if they will remain true to their vows, or search for something better.

Told in gorgeous, descriptive prose with flashes of humor and insight, this debut novel quietly questions our notions of forgiveness and faith. Purchase at https://bit.ly/3Y5rQiT.

Soul Masters: The Hunting Grounds by K.R. Gastreich

On a hike through the forest, Mayela stumbles into a terrifying world where immortals hunt souls. To survive, she secures protection from a Soul Master. When he demands payment, Mayela fights back. But how can she fight the desire consuming her heart?

Every soul Nathan claims expands the power of his realm. In Mayela, he finds a rare gift that could guarantee his place among the Soul Masters. All he must do is secure her allegiance without losing his heart. And Nathan has no heart to lose. Or does he?

With eternity at stake, Mayela and Nathan ignite a transcendent passion that breaks all the rules. Among the Soul Masters, a malevolent force awakens. The final hunt is on… Purchase at https://bit.ly/3A2vWi7.

Restaurant Excellence by Marvin Alballi

Whether you're establishing your first restaurant, launching another franchise, welcoming guests to a luxury hotel dining experience, or sitting comfortably in the city's F&B concept, this book provides expert advice to take your business to the next level and better serve your new and loyal customers. No matter your skill level, this book will offer something to appeal, enlighten, and encourage.

Author Marvin Alballi has worked his way through the ranks to become an award-winning food-and-beverage executive managing franchise chains, celebrity-chef restaurants, independent establishments, and global hotel F&B operations. He has overseen everything from mom-and-pop diners to fine dining.

This book presents valuable and practical advice with contributions from 28 respected food-service industry professionals, including several Michelin-starred chefs. These suggestions cover every essential topic: kitchen management, service and hospitality, training and development, design, marketing, cost management, operations, menus and interviews with top chefs and CEOs. Purchase at https://bit.ly/3WycUZW

(NewsUSA) - The kids may be out trick-or-treating, but 70% of U.S. adults say they are celebrating Halloween at home, and approximately half of them will be hosting a party, according to a recent survey by the National Retail Federation. A suitably ghoulish gathering calls for a spooktacular and memorable menu.

When planning your Halloween party, you can keep it fun and simple without the hassle. Try these easy, delicious ideas that will let you spend more time enjoying the party and less time prepping.

Scoop narrow dollops of sour cream onto a serving platter, add peppercorns for eyes, and transform them into sour cream ghosts to pair with your spicy dip and chips. For a spooky twist, drizzle caramel in a spider web pattern over apple slices, or melt chocolate into a large spider web on a wooden board. Once it hardens, top with pretzels just before guests arrive, and sprinkle edible spiders or candy bugs to complete the creepy-crawly look!

For your Halloween drinks, Seagram's Escapes makes it easy to brew up a wickedly delicious Monster Margarita—no tricks, just treats! Whether you're serving party guests or sipping at home while handing out candy, this spooky cocktail features the citrusy burst of Seagram’s Escapes Jamaican Me Smile and takes less than 10 minutes to conjure up. Perfect for a frightfully fun night! 

Monster Margarita

Makes: 4-5 servings

Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

- 2 cans Seagram’s Escapes Jamaican Me Smile

- 1 cup apple cider

- 1/2 cup tequila blanco

- 2 limes, juiced

- 1 lime, sliced

- 1 orange

- Black sea salt, for rim

Additional equipment for more Halloween flair:

- Pumpkin shaped cookie cutter

- Halloween cocktail picks

Directions

1. Prepare the Fruit: Slice 1 lime into rounds. If desired, use the peel of half of an orange to create orange peel pumpkins with a cookie cutter. Slice the other half of the orange into thin slices.

2. Prepare the Glasses: Pour black sea salt to a shallow dish. Run a lime wedge around the rim of each cocktail glass. Submerge the rim of the glass in the black salt until coated.

3. Prepare the Cocktail: Combine Seagram’s Escapes Jamaican Me Smile, apple cider, tequila, lime slice, and orange slices in a large pitcher. Stir until blended. Pour the mixture into the prepared glasses over ice. Garnish each glass with a bit of orange or pumpkin peel and a cocktail pick if desired.

 Visit seagramescapes.com/seagrams-recipes for more ideas and information.

(Mayra Garza, Head of Group Benefits Strategy and Retail Segment at Guardian and Shawn Patrick, Director of Strategic Growth at Kelsey National) - Open Enrollment is here.

For many Americans, this is the time of year they dedicate to thinking about their insurance benefits, regardless of whether they are purchased individually or accessed through their employer.

As individuals think about their and their families’ health needs and what types of coverage will provide the best support, it’s important not to overlook the role of dental insurance. Why? Because good oral health plays an important role in influencing physical health, as well as someone’s mental and financial well-being.

Kick-starting and supporting good oral health is rooted in selecting the right dental insurance plan for you and utilizing its benefits. With this in mind, here’s what individuals should consider as they evaluate their various dental insurance options over the next few months.

The oral health foundation

A recent study by Guardian found that only 35% of Americans rate their oral health as excellent or very good.

The implications of this go beyond just the mouth.

For example, problems located in the mouth can affect the whole body. When left untreated, mouth bacteria can spread to the bloodstream, harming other parts of the body. Gum disease, for example, occurs when bacteria infect the gums and the condition has been linked to serious health issues such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, respiratory ailments, and even Alzheimer's disease.

Another way dental hygiene can influence the whole body is nutrition. When significant tooth loss occurs, it may decrease a person’s appetite and limit what a person eats. This situation may lead to an imbalanced diet that lacks the foods necessary to promote sound health.

There are also mental and emotional health implications. Missing, damaged, or discolored teeth, for example, can make a person self-conscious and lead them to avoid social interactions. In fact, Guardian found that 78% of people with self-reported “fair” or “poor” oral health indicated it has had an effect on their mental health.

Finally, there is a connection between oral health and financial wellness. Generally speaking, individuals who get regular preventive dental care see significant cost savings down the line—either because they need fewer dental procedures overall or have lower claims costs. As financial well-being plays an outsized role in influencing mental, physical, and overall well-being, finding the right dental insurance policy for you and using the associated benefits is essential.

Finding the right coverage for you

There is no single dental plan that is perfect for everyone. However, even when purchasing dental insurance individually (as opposed to receiving it through a work benefit), there are a wide range of options to help meet someone’s needs.

The first step in choosing the right plan for you and your needs is finding a plan that covers preventive, basic, and major dental care. While you may not have immediate need for all these services, comprehensive coverage provides protection against unexpected events like the fracture of a tooth or the need for a root canal. At minimum, using the preventive benefits—which often includes coverage for bi-annual dental exams and teeth cleaning to remove plaque and tartar—provides dentists with the opportunity to spot emerging problems before they become more complicated or expensive to fix.

The second step is to confirm the plan in question covers services you expect to use in the near future. Aside from regular cleanings and x-rays, you may want teeth whitening or orthodontia. Since not every plan insures these services, you’ll need to confirm coverage in a plan’s summary of benefits. When considering services you may need, pay particular attention to waiting periods—which many dental plans have and which require that you be enrolled in the plan for a minimum number of months before a more expensive procedure may be covered. If you have an immediate dental need, it’s important to make certain that service is available once your plan is purchased and active.

A third step is to look into the plan’s dental network. There are three common types of networks—Preferred Provider Organizations (which give you the option of using dentists both in and out-of-network), Health Maintenance Organizations (which restrict you to in-network dentists), and indemnity (often lacks a network and allows a member to see any dentist). In addition to confirming that your current or preferred dentist is in your plan’s network, make sure that network includes nearby specialists. Whether you might need a pediatric dentist for your child or an oral surgeon, having a comprehensive network is one of the best ways to get value from your dental plan. To help confirm whether a dentist takes a specific insurance plan, many insurance carriers have a provider search function on their website or app.

Another consideration is a dental plan’s maximum benefit. A maximum benefit is an insurance company’s annual limit on what they contribute toward dental expenses. If a dental plan has a $1,500 maximum limit, for example, that means the insurance company will spend up to $1,500 every plan year on covered dental expenses (after the deductible has been satisfied). Some plans reward enrollees for loyalty by increasing the plan’s annual limit in the second and third year of coverage.

Finally, make it easy on yourself. After all, people are more likely to utilize dental benefits that are accessible and understandable—and, as mentioned, increased utilization is closely linked to better oral health outcomes and lower costs. One area many insurers are investing in to support utilization is technology. When evaluating an insurance plan, take a look at some of these tech enabled features, including whether you can add your ID card to your smartphone wallet and whether they have any online resources to help you understand or maximize offered benefits. Another component to look at is whether any self-service tools are available, including online dentist search databases, the ability to set-up recurring payments, and whether you can pay bills online. 

Supporting your well-being

The link between regular dental care, better oral health, and overall wellness can’t be underestimated—and it starts with having the right plan for you in place. As you consider your insurance benefits for the year ahead, don’t overlook the importance of dental insurance.  

For more information, visit dentalinsurance.com.

(NewsUSA) - Approximately 40% of children in the United States live at or below the poverty line, facing daily challenges and hardships. Their parents, grappling with the relentless impact of record-high inflation, struggle to provide even the most basic necessities. They simply don’t have the financial means to provide toys, books, or games for their children.  

Marine Toys for Tots, traditionally known as the Nation’s flagship children’s Christmastime charity, has expanded its mission and now provides year-round joy, comfort, and hope to economically disadvantaged children across the Nation through the gift of a new toy, book or game.

“As part of our Program’s year-round mission, we continue to look for ways to provide comfort and emotional relief to children living in poverty,” says LtGen Jim Laster, CEO of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.

The need continues all year, not only during the holiday season. Throughout October, Marine Toys for Tots encourages supporters to contribute in honor of Child Poverty Day, which was recognized on October 17, and be part of a better, brighter chapter in the lives of economically disadvantaged children. This day serves as a reminder that every child deserves the chance to thrive, dream, and succeed.

“Today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders, and together we can provide hope for a brighter future and remind them that, no matter their circumstances, no doors are closed to them in life,” says LtGen Laster.

At a recent event in central Ohio, more than 220 children who attended a monthly food distribution with a local Toys for Tots partner were elated by the surprise of tables filled with toys, books, and games provided by Toys for Tots, thanks to the support of friends like you.

Not only does your gift provide an immediate boost to the quality of life for these children; you show them that they matter, and that there is hope for a brighter future.

Join us in our mission and make a positive impact on the lives of children in need! Visit toysfortots.org for more information.

(NewsUSA) - As advances in artificial intelligence continue to transform the world, the integration of AI and robotics will have a significant impact on many areas, and will change both fields. The Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), a nonprofit and nonpartisan initiative with a goal of making recommendations to strengthen America's long-term competitiveness in AI, will address the topic of AI and robotics at its upcoming AI+ Robotics Summit, the second of its AI+ Summit Series. 

The AI+ Robotics Summit will take place on October 23, 2024, in Washington, D.C. 

The goal of the summit is to chart a national strategy for leadership in AI-enabled robotics. The event brings together innovation leaders not only to demonstrate the latest directions in robotics technology, but also to discuss policy implications and identify the essential variables for U.S. competitiveness in robotics and AI.

The program will consist of discussions between leading experts on the future of robotics, the shape of the robotics innovation ecosystem, the autonomy revolution, robotics in manufacturing, the impact of robots on the future of work, and more. 

Attendees will also have the opportunity to experience robotics innovation demos related to national competitiveness domains.

Visit scsp.ai to learn more.

(NewsUSA) - According to a recent Houzz report, kitchens remain the most renovated interior room (29%), followed closely by guest and primary bathrooms (27% and 25%, respectively). In 2023, the median spend for kitchen renovations climbed by 20% to $24,000, while primary bath projects saw an 11% increase, reaching $15,000. With home improvement investments rising, here are five transformative kitchen and bath upgrades to elevate your space without breaking the bank:

1. Create a Spa-inspired Bathroom –The Wetwall™ Waterproof Wall Panel System is an affordable and easy way to create spa-worthy retreats that deliver high-end style without the need for disruptive demolitions. Thanks to grout-free, tongue-and-groove panels that can be installed over virtually any existing material including tile, this upgrade can be completed in as little as 2.5 hours. Available in high-end designs, the panels are perfect for shower walls, bath surrounds, accent walls, and cladding and can instantly transform your bathroom into a spa-worthy retreat buyers will love. 

2. Update Your Countertops – Countertops are a key focal point in kitchens and bathrooms, and upgrading your tops can instantly refresh any space. Quartz delivers the elegance of natural stone with superior durability, offering a luxurious yet practical surface. For homeowners who love the look of Taj Mahal quartzite, Wilsonart® Quartz Glencoe and Marathi Marble designs provide stunning alternatives that capture the same timeless beauty with enhanced durability. For seamless, low-maintenance integration, Wilsonart® Solid Surface is perfect, providing a sleek look for countertops, backsplashes, and even integrated sinks in both kitchens and baths.

3. Refresh Your Flooring – Flooring is an often-overlooked element in kitchen and bathroom makeovers, but it’s crucial for both function and style. Consider water-resistant flooring for kitchens, such as luxury vinyl planks or tiles that offer the warmth of wood without the maintenance. For bathrooms, opt for durable, moisture-proof options like porcelain tile or vinyl. These materials add elegance while standing up to the demands of high-traffic areas.

4. Upgrade Your Cabinets – Updating your cabinets can help elevate your living environment to a new level of luxuriousness. The LUJO® Collection inspires with a sense of reassurance and comfort that can transform any space into a sanctuary. The collection allows you to choose luxurious wood species for cabinets/case goods, cabinet interiors and closet systems and is stain and moisture resistant, allowing for simple cleaning and disinfection. It can also be easily combined with other engineered surfaces, allowing you to create a cohesive and sophisticated aesthetic for your living spaces.

5. Transform with Paint – Never underestimate the power of a fresh coat of paint. In 2024, expect to see a continued focus on nature-inspired shades like soft greens, warm taupes, and muted blues in kitchens and bathrooms alike. Accent walls in bolder hues, such as deep blues or rich terracottas, are also trending for those looking to add a pop of personality without overwhelming the space.

For more information and ideas to help inspire your next home remodel project, visit www.wilsonart.com.  

(NewsUSA) - Have you ever thought about how you can buy most fresh fruits year-round?  Think hemispheres: The U.S. is located in the Northern Hemisphere, so when certain fruits are out of season here, they are being grown, harvested, and shipped to your local grocery store by countries in the Southern Hemisphere. 

This fall, when you see fresh citrus fruits such as mandarins and navel oranges, they are likely coming from the South American country of Chile, which ships citrus to the U.S. from late spring through fall.

You can enjoy Chilean mandarins from June through November and navels from July into early November.  From June through October, the U.S. also receives fresh lemons from Chile to complement our domestic supply.

As we "fall" into the cooler months of autumn, take advantage of fresh, delicious Chilean citrus fruits for some frightfully delicious treats for your Halloween party!

Bubbling Witches Brew:

3 1/2 cups fresh Chilean mandarin orange juice

1/2 cup fresh Chilean lemon juice

1 cup chilled sweet sparkling soda

Chill freshly squeezed mandarin orange juice and lemon juice.  Before serving, pour the orange juice and lemon juice mix into a punch bowl or pitcher. Stir in 1 cup chilled sweet sparkling soda and ice cubes. Taste for sweetness, and add a bit of sugar if needed. To garnish, peel and slice mandarin oranges and arrange them in glasses or a punchbowl.  Serves 5.

Spook-tacular Fruit Cups:

1 orange for each Fruit Cup
Orange pieces
Melon balls
Grapes
Blueberries

Use one orange for each fruit cup. Cut off the top 1/5 of the orange and use a paring knife to separate the fruit from the inside of the orange, being careful not to cut through the peel. You don’t need to get all the flesh out, just enough to fill with the fruit. If necessary, shave a small amount of peel off the bottom so the cups sit level, being careful not to create an opening in the base. Use a paring knife to carve faces and fill each cup with your choice of orange pieces, melon balls, grapes, and blueberries.

For recipes and more information, visit fruitsfromchile.com/recipes.

(NewsUSA) - A majority of American women view themselves as the “Chief Financial Officer” of their family, but less than half report taking an active role in investment decisions, based on a survey from financial services firm Edward Jones in partnership with Morning Consult and NEXT360 Partners.

The survey included nearly 6,000 people between the ages of 25 and 71 years. This group is often referred to as the “sandwich generation,” to reflect many who are caring not only for children, but also caring for elderly parents or other relatives. Approximately half (48%) of the survey respondents said that they feel financial strain.

The goal of the survey was to examine women’s roles in their families and their finances, and the challenges that come from balancing both, according to a press release announcing the survey findings.

Nearly two-thirds (64%) of the respondents said that caregiving duties have negatively impacted their ability to save for their financial goals, and 57% reported taking on fewer professional responsibilities due to caregiving, resulting in a loss of potential income.

“While many women want the choice and ability to have careers, be caregivers and be the CFO of their families, balancing the responsibilities of health, family, purpose, and finances have significant trade-offs,” said Vanessa Okwuraiwe, Principal at Edward Jones, in the press release.

Many of the women surveyed are the sole caregivers their households; 46% reported being the sole caregiver for their children, and 54% said they were the sole caregiver for parents or relatives. Additionally, 56% reported feeling that they do not have enough money to support their children and/or older relatives. A majority put a priority on saving for long-term expenses, notably caregiving (75%), child education (72%) and healthcare (81%). However, only 42% reported having sole responsibility for investment decisions, and 26% reported sharing this role with another member of the household.

Two-thirds of the respondents (65%) said that more time and fewer caregiving responsibilities would boost their confidence in planning for their financial future, and 51% said that a financial advisor would be helpful.

"Women want a financial professional who gets them, guides them, and can make things easier,” said Mona Mahajan, Principal and Senior Investment Strategist at Edward Jones.

“Working with a financial professional can help women set their short- and long-term financial goals with a clear path to achieve them," she added.

For more information, visit: www.edwardjones.com/womeninvestors.

(Mark Gibbons, President/CEO of RetireSafe) - With the start of Medicare’s open enrollment period, it’s important that older Americans explore their healthcare options to make the best choice for their unique needs.

Seniors eligible for Medicare benefits have the choice of enrolling in traditional Medicare (also known as fee-for-service) or selecting a plan from Medicare Advantage (MA), which provides coverage through private health plans approved by Medicare. In recent years MA plans—or Medicare Part C—have become increasingly preferred among beneficiaries.

“We’ve seen Medicare Advantage become a popular alternative to traditional Medicare among older Americans over the last several years. The flexibility and cost savings associated with MA make these plans an attractive choice,” notes Mark Gibbons, President and CEO of RetireSafe, a non-profit dedicated to educating and advocating on behalf of older Americans.

Compared to traditional Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans are typically associated with:

• Lower costs and greater predictability. Most MA plans offer lower out-of-pocket (OOP) costs, and all MA plans are required to cap the amount you spend on healthcare annually. On average, beneficiaries enrolled in MA plans save $2,500 per year on premiums and OOP costs.
• More coordinated and consistent access to care. Unlike traditional Medicare, where individuals pay separate monthly premiums for hospital visits, outpatient services, and prescription drugs, Medicare Advantage bundles these services into a single monthly premium. It’s why MA plans are better suited to offer coordinated care to patients, which is particularly important for those living with chronic conditions or seniors who see multiple healthcare providers.
• Coverage of supplemental benefits and prescription drugs. MA plans offer supplemental benefits such as vision, dental, hearing, telehealth, transportation, nutrition and wellness services. Additionally, while traditional Medicare requires beneficiaries to purchase a separate plan for prescription drug coverage, MA plans often cover prescriptions under the same plan.

Due to the cost, coverage, care, and accessibility benefits associated with Medicare Advantage, beneficiaries enrolled in MA plans report better health outcomes, on average, across a range of metrics. Those enrolled in MA are more likely to have a usual source of care and to report receiving routine healthcare screenings and preventive services,

Seniors should take the time to review their current coverage and consider whether Medicare Advantage might be right for their unique needs.

(NewsUSA) - As artificial intelligence technology grows stronger, what we known about the complexity of the human brain provides perspective to its development, according to experts at experts at the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), a nonprofit and nonpartisan initiative with a goal of making recommendations to strengthen America's long-term competitiveness in AI.

 “Like the journey of understanding our minds, it is essential to the human experience to step back and imagine how a more powerful form of artificial intelligence (AI) will arrive in leaps, including the next 12-18 months,” said Ylli Bajraktari, CEO of the Special Competitive Studies Project, in a recent blog post.

He identified three megatrends that could contribute to artificial general intelligence (AGI) in the future.

Better generative AI. Large generative AI models such as GPT-4 continue to scale up their performance and become bigger, faster, and stronger. The upward vector will increase until it reaches a plateau, and many experts predict that the LLM (learned language model) may plateau at some useful cost point and continue to serve as the user interface (UI) between people and AI systems-of-systems because LLMs “speak our language.” 

Combined AI Activity. New approaches to specific AI functions will allow AI to perform more human-like tasks by combining functions as well as improving in scale. A combination of today’s AI with capabilities such as better reasoning, planning, creativity, memory, and sensing, as well as the ability to orchestrate the inputs from over 700 specialized GPT models, would yield something much more general.

This megatrend has economic consequences, as it opens a dynamic space in which small and medium-sized companies can flourish. Some of the key advancements in the global AI community include the ability to fuse data from different sources (multimodality), chain of thought reasoning, and planning/scaffolding/framing, which allow AI to progress towards human-like strategizing and problem-solving.

Transformation of technology. The arrival of AGI also will occur by transforming the fundamental technologies upon which AI depends, such as computing, data, microelectronics, networks, and energy. Quantum computing will likely serve as a source for modeling the real world. Ongoing improvements in microelectronics will continue to support human-like memory capabilities in AI, and advanced networks will allow AI systems to react and make decisions almost instantly, like a self-driving car avoiding an accident before you even see the danger.

Although it is likely that these three megatrends will develop, interact, intertwine and combine to create the fourth way to AGI, questions remain about how the megatrends will combine, when it will happen, who will do it, and which drivers will matter most. “Getting positioned and organized for the arrival of this general-purpose technology is a defining challenge of our era,” according to the experts at SCSP.

Visit scsp.ai to learn more.