(NewsUSA) - Distracted driving continues to threaten U.S. roads, prompting companies that operate and insure commercial vehicles to explore how technologies like telematics can help identify risky behavior and prevent crashes.

New research from SambaSafety examines how organizations use driving data to better understand risk and support safer decisions on the road. The report draws on responses from 740 fleet, broker, and insurance professionals, as well as an analysis of 500 million miles of driving data covering more than 135 million driver behavior events. The findings show that safety risks can vary considerably by the type of work drivers perform, and that understanding those differences can help organizations develop safety programs that address the risks their drivers face.

The report found that 84% of insurers and brokers consider distracted driving a major threat to commercial auto profitability, up nearly 10 percentage points in one year. The increase reflects a growing recognition that distraction behind the wheel threatens public safety and contributes to higher costs when crashes occur.

Telematics can help organizations identify unsafe or risky driving patterns and use those insights to influence driver training and safety programs. With 90% of fleet respondents using telematics, there’s a growing challenge in turning the technology’s data into meaningful action. More than half of fleets (53%) say interpreting and acting on telematics data is a leading challenge.

For example, severe speeding rates differed by more than fivefold across the industries analyzed. Transportation fleets recorded 48 severe speeding events per 100,000 miles, compared with 254 among Construction fleets. These differences show why a safety strategy that works for one group of drivers may not address the risks facing another.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is also emerging as a means of interpreting large amounts of driver data. Sixty percent of fleets and 94% of insurers report using AI in some form, including analyzing driver risk data and reviewing footage that once required manual processing.

The research also points to a disconnect over data sharing. While 52% of brokers cite fleet distrust as a barrier, only 5% of fleets agree. This finding suggests that fleets may be more willing to share information when they understand its purpose and value.

“Understanding risk isn’t just about having more data. It’s having the right information to reveal the story behind it,” said Kristy Kennah, Head of Insurance at SambaSafety.

These findings reflect a broader shift in vehicle safety technology. As these tools become more widely used, the focus is shifting toward using this information to identify risks and support safer decisions on the road.

The 2026 Telematics Report is available from SambaSafety.

(NewsUSA) - After a car crash, dealing with injuries, medical appointments and vehicle repairs can be overwhelming enough. Then comes another challenge: dealing with insurance companies.

While consumers may expect an insurer to simply determine what happened and pay a fair claim, the claims process can be much more complicated. Adjusters may request recorded statements, seek broad access to medical records or make settlement offers before the full extent of an injury is known.

Ryan L. Thompson, founder and managing partner of Thompson Law, says injured consumers should understand how the claims process works before making decisions that could affect their recovery. Thompson previously defended corporations before establishing his personal injury practice, giving him experience with how insurers and defense teams evaluate and resolve claims.

Here are five issues consumers should watch for after an accident.

1. The recorded statement

Soon after a crash, an insurance adjuster may ask an injured person to provide a recorded statement about what happened and how they are feeling.

In Texas, a participant in a telephone conversation generally may record that conversation without obtaining the other participant’s permission. Consumers should therefore assume an insurance call may be recorded rather than assume a conversation is off the record.

That distinction matters when injuries are still developing. Someone who says they feel “fine” shortly after an accident may later discover an injury that was not immediately apparent.

There is also an important difference between dealing with your own insurer and the other driver's insurer. A standard Texas personal auto policy contains a duty to cooperate with your own insurance company. Thompson cautions that an injured third party does not have the same contractual obligation to provide a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer.

2. The fast settlement offer

A quick check can seem like welcome news when medical bills and other expenses are mounting. But speed is not necessarily the same thing as a complete and fair evaluation of a claim.

The danger is settling before doctors know the extent of an injury or how long recovery may take. Once a claimant signs a release and resolves the claim, the opportunity to seek additional compensation for that claim generally ends.

Texas insurance law also addresses claim investigation. Thompson notes that Texas Insurance Code Section 541.060 prohibits an insurer from refusing to pay certain claims without conducting a reasonable investigation and requires good-faith settlement efforts in specified circumstances when liability has become reasonably clear. The statute does not specifically prohibit an insurer from making an early offer simply because an injury has not fully resolved.

The practical lesson: understand what is being settled before accepting an offer.

3. Broad access to your medical history

Another document to examine carefully is a medical-record authorization.

An authorization may give an insurer access to medical information extending beyond treatment directly connected to the accident. That can include older conditions or treatments that may become part of the insurer's evaluation of whether an injury resulted from the crash.

Thompson said nothing in Texas law requires an injured third party to provide the other driver's insurer with unlimited access to medical records. Consumers may instead limit an authorization by provider and date or offer to supply relevant records directly.

Read an authorization carefully before signing it and understand exactly what information it permits the recipient to obtain.

4. Computer-assisted claim valuation

Technology can also play a role in determining what a claim is worth.

In 2010, Allstate reached a multistate regulatory settlement involving the insurer's use of the Colossus claims-handling software. The insurer agreed to a $10 million regulatory settlement and reforms governing how the software was used. Among other provisions, the settlement addressed notice to claimants and prohibited requiring adjusters to settle claims solely according to a value recommended by the software.

The historical case should not be interpreted as proof that insurers today systematically underpay claims using software. New York's insurance superintendent said the examination did not find systemic underpayment of bodily-injury claims.

For consumers, the broader point is that a claim may involve standardized valuation tools as well as human judgment. Medical documentation, lost wages and the individual circumstances of an injury can therefore be important in establishing the full picture.

5. Delay and repeated requests

Finally, keep track of what happens after a claim is opened.

Dates, phone calls, documents submitted and the names of adjusters can become important if a claim stalls. Keep a simple log of every call, adjuster's name and date.

Some Texas claims involving a person's own insurer are also subject to statutory deadlines.  The consumer must distinguish those deadlines from third-party claims involving the other driver's insurer, an important difference consumers should understand rather than assuming the same timetable applies to every claim.

Keeping copies of correspondence and maintaining a timeline can help consumers know what information has already been supplied and what remains outstanding.

Know what you're agreeing to

Thompson Law handles vehicle crashes and other serious personal injury and wrongful-death cases. The Dallas-headquartered firm, with additional Texas offices in San Antonio, Houston and Waco, says it has recovered more than $2.1 billion for injured people and families as of August 2026.

For Thompson, the takeaway for injured consumers is simple: don't treat every request from an insurance company as routine paperwork. Understand what information is being requested, what rights may be affected, and what accepting or signing a document means before making a decision.

More information is available from Thompson Law / 1-800-LION-LAW or 1800lionlaw.com.

(NewsUSA) - This World Heart Day, there’s an important number everyone should know: their blood pressure measurement. High blood pressure (or hypertension) is one of the most common health issues in the United States,¹ with approximately 50% of adults - roughly 120 million - living with the condition.^2,3 If left uncontrolled, high blood pressure can lead to significantly increased health risks including heart attack and stroke. ^4,5 

However, high blood pressure is often called “the silent killer” with no noticeable symptoms – many people may not realize their blood pressure is too high. For people diagnosed with hypertension, lifestyle changes and medications are the first steps toward gaining better control. But managing the condition can be challenging, and medications aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution. In fact, up to 50% of patients become non-adherent to their medications within one year, and nearly 75% of adults with high blood pressure do not have it under control.^6,7

The good news is that additional treatment options are available, including the Symplicity™ blood pressure procedure. This minimally invasive procedure works in tandem with lifestyle management and medication which may help patients achieve blood pressure control, and also could reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.^8,9,10 The procedure works by calming excessively active nerves near the kidneys that may be contributing to high blood pressure.¹¹ The procedure doesn’t require any implant and once done, the effects keep working 24 hours a day.^{8, 9, 12}While some patients may be able to reduce the number of antihypertensive medications they take, medication may need to be adjusted overtime by a healthcare team. Symplicity may have side effects including headache, back pain, access site complications like bruising or hematoma, and in very rare cases, blood vessel injury or narrowing. 

More than 40,000 adults worldwide have received the Symplicity blood pressure procedure.¹³ In recognition of World Heart Day, we are highlighting the journeys of three individuals who took a new direction in managing their high blood pressure.

Focusing on What Matters Most

Yazmin Rodriguez, a South Jersey mother of five and grandmother of one, always strives to put her family first. But years of uncontrolled high blood pressure made that increasingly difficult, leaving her with frequent migraines and low energy despite taking multiple antihypertensive medications and making lifestyle changes.

This changed in 2024 when Dr. Kintur Sanghvi,* interventional cardiologist at Virtua Health, introduced her to a different approach: the Symplicity blood pressure procedure. After talking to Dr. Sanghvi about the risks of the procedure -  Yazmin decided to undergo the procedure. Today, she has gained more control of her blood pressure and is now able to keep up with what matters most to her: her family. 

“For patients like Yazmin who have tried medications and lifestyle changes but continue to struggle with uncontrolled high blood pressure, renal denervation offers not only an adjunctive treatment option, but a renewed sense of hope for patients,” said Dr. Sanghvi. “While results for patients may vary, seeing Yazmin have better control of her blood pressure and, with it, more control over her life is a powerful reminder of why we offer this procedure to patients.” 

Taking on New Adventures

Patrick Whitehouse, a 59-year-old from Sacramento, California, has always led an active lifestyle. Whether skiing, mountain biking, traveling with friends, or spending time outdoors, staying active has always been an important part of his life. But as his uncontrolled high blood pressure began to interfere with the activities he loved, Patrick searched for another option. The Symplicity blood pressure procedure, alongside lifestyle changes and medication, helped him return to the activities he enjoys most - including riding the iconic Denali Park Road in Alaska. This was a meaningful milestone in Patrick’s return to an active, adventurous life. 

Finding a New Path Forward

Todd "Lumpy" Kocsis, of Gibsonburg, Ohio has lived with uncontrolled high blood pressure since he was just 18 years old. Now 54, and despite decades of treatment, multiple medications, and significant weight loss, his blood pressure continued to worsen, leading to frequent trips to the emergency room. Feeling defeated and out of options, Lumpy learned about the Symplicity blood pressure procedure through his physician, Doctor Gbur at Fulton County Health Center.* Today, he works full-time and stays active caring for his horses, scuba diving, and exercising - activities that were once much more difficult while living with high blood pressure. 

If you’re living with uncontrolled high blood pressure, understanding your treatment options can be an important step toward reclaiming your health.

To learn more about renal denervation and view additional important safety and risk information, visit beyondHBP.com.

*In the past, this physician has been paid for participation in speaking events by Medtronic.

These testimonials reflect the individual experiences and opinions of the patients featured. Not every person will experience the same results.

The Symplicity Spyral renal denervation system is indicated to reduce blood pressure as an adjunctive treatment in patients with hypertension for whom lifestyle modifications and antihypertensive medications do not adequately control blood pressure. People with higher blood pressure before the procedure may see greater reductions in blood pressure and a decrease in the need for blood pressure medication following the procedure.

The Symplicity procedure has known risks that should be considered in relation to the potential benefits of the procedure. Potential procedure-related adverse events including pain, vascular access site complications, and vasospasm are most common.

1. American Heart Association. The Facts About High Blood Pressure. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/the-facts-about-high-blood-pressure. Update May 23, 2024. Accessed on Oct 16, 2024.

2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Control Hypertension. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General; 2020. 

3. High Blood Pressure Facts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/high-blood-pressure/data-research/facts-stats/index.html Accessed August 21, 2026.

4. Jones DW, et al. 2025 AHA/ACC/AANP/AAPA/ABC/ACCP/ACPM/AGS/AMA/ASPC/NMA/PCNA/SGIM Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2025 Nov 4;86(18):1567-1678. 

5. High blood pressure dangers: Hypertension’s effects on your body. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/highblood-pressure/in-depth/high-blood-pressure/art-20045868. Accessed August 21, 2026.

6. Berra E, et al. Hypertension. 2016 Aug;68(2):297-306.

7. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hypertension Accessed August 21, 2026.

8. Böhm M, Kario K, Kandzari DE, et al. Efficacy of catheter-based renal denervation in the absence of antihypertensive medications (SPYRAL HTN-OFF MED Pivotal): a multicentre, randomised, shamcontrolled trial. Lancet. 2020;395(10234):1444–1451. 

9. Kandzari D, Townsend R, Kario K, et al. Safety and Efficacy of Renal Denervation in Patients Taking Antihypertensive Medications. J Am Coll Cardiol. November 7, 2023;82(19):1809–1823. 

10. Ettehad D, Emdin CA, Kiran A, et al. Blood pressure lowering for prevention of cardiovascular disease and death: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet. March 5, 2016;387(10022):957-967.

11. Coates P, Tunev S, Trudel J, Hettrick DA. Time, Temperature, Power, and Impedance Considerations for Radiofrequency Catheter Renal Denervation. Cardiovasc Revasc Med. September 2022;42:171–177.  

12. Medtronic Symplicity Spyral multi-electrode renal denervation catheter Instructions for Use.

13.  Medtronic data on file, RDN Catheter Historical Data, September 2026. Data includes both Symplicity Flex and Symplicity Spyral

US-SE-2600908 v 1.0

©2026 Medtronic. Medtronic, Medtronic logo, and Engineering the extraordinary are trademarks of Medtronic. All other brands are trademarks of a Medtronic company.

Important Safety Information  

The Symplicity^™ blood pressure procedure (BPP) is a minimally invasive procedure approved to help lower high blood pressure. The procedure is approved as a complement to treatments you may already be trying, such as lifestyle modifications and high blood pressure medications that might not be adequately controlling your blood pressure.  

Receiving the Symplicity BPP should be based on a joint decision between you and your doctor. Consider the benefits and risks of the device and procedure. Please talk to your doctor to decide whether or not the Symplicity BPP is right for you. 

If you have a pacemaker or an ICD, your doctor will follow up with steps to take ahead of the procedure if you decide it is right for you. 

At the time of your procedure, your doctor may detect certain anatomical conditions (e.g., your blood vessels are too big or too small) that do not allow the blood pressure procedure to continue. 

You should not receive the procedure if you cannot tolerate medications that are required for the procedure, like atropine, nitroglycerin, systemic blood thinners, or certain pain medications. These medications are to help you in case your heart rate drops too low, you experience pain, or your blood vessels tighten during the procedure. You should not receive the procedure if you are pregnant. 

The Symplicity BPP has not been studied in patients: • Who are breastfeeding • Who are under 18 years old • Who have isolated systolic hypertension (only the “top number” of your blood pressure is high) • Who have secondary causes of high blood pressure   • Who have had a renal stent placed less than 3 months prior to the procedure • Who had a prior minimally invasive treatment in their renal arteries (stenting, angioplasty, or prior renal denervation) 

Potential risks of the Symplicity BPP (note that you may experience other problems that have not been previously observed with this procedure): • Allergic reaction to the imaging solution • Damage to your arteries • Future narrowing of your arteries • Arterio-enteric fistula (an abnormal connection between your aorta and your gastrointestinal tract) • AV fistula (an irregular connection between an artery and a vein) • Bleeding or blood clots • Bruising where the device enters your body (mild or severe) • Cardiac arrest or heart attack • Death • Deep vein thrombosis • Swelling • Slow heart rate • Infection • Low or high blood pressure • Damage to your kidneys that may cause one or both to stop working • Nausea or vomiting • Peripheral ischemia (lack of blood supply to your limbs) • Pulmonary embolism (a sudden block in your arteries that send blood to your lungs) • Pseudoaneurysm (blood collecting on the outside of a vessel wall causing a balloon-like widening) • Pain or discomfort • Skin burns from the failure of the equipment during the procedure • Exposure to radiation • Stroke 

For further information, please call and/or consult Medtronic at 800-633-8766 or the Medtronic website at medtronic.com.

(BookTrib) - “Over the Hills and Far Away” by Daniel Mack

John Merlan is nearing retirement with an irregular heartbeat, a dwindling roster of therapy clients and a growing suspicion that the modern world is far too eager to tell people how to live. Newly settled in Central Florida, he spends his days driving the back roads of the Lake Wales Ridge, talking with clients, researching local history and wondering what free will really means — and what we are supposed to do with it.

His questions become stranger as mysterious encounters blur the line between imagination and reality. Meanwhile, half a world away, a clandestine experiment is pursuing an astonishing possibility: if the human soul is the source of free will, could that freedom be eliminated altogether?

Funny, profane and philosophical, Daniel Mack’s “Over the Hills and Far Away” combines one man’s search for meaning with a much larger mystery about choice, control and what it means to be human.

Purchase at https://tinyurl.com/over-the-hills-daniel-mack. 

“Dancing Through Seafoam” by Diane Skye Gropper

Poet Diane Skye Gropper explores the fleeting nature of life through a deeply personal and spiritual lens. Drawing on decades of studying Buddhism, Native American teachings and other traditions, she reflects on love, loss, past lives, healing, mortality and the connections that endure beyond a single lifetime.

The collection moves from intimate poems about family, grief and relationships into broader meditations on karma, free will, spiritual growth and humanity’s responsibility to one another and the planet. Some pieces tell vivid stories; others wrestle directly with questions of death, purpose and what we carry from one life into the next.

The title itself captures Gropper’s central image: life as a dance through seafoam, beautiful and fragile, appearing only briefly before disappearing. Yet throughout the collection, the soul’s journey continues, shaped by love, memory and the choices made along the way.

Purchase at https://tinyurl.com/dancing-through-seafoam. 

“Hunting the Red Fox” by W. Kenneth Tyler Jr.

In 1942, Perry Barnes’ future is shaped by a teenage mistake with an ironic twist. Given the choice between conscription in the Army and a prison sentence for stealing jewelry, Perry opts for the former. He soon finds himself in a newly formed special operations unit, where he learns espionage, sabotage, lock picking, safe cracking — and the very skills that could someday make him a first-class jewel thief.

After the war, Perry’s adventures take him from stunt work in 1950s Hollywood to professional golf alongside legends like Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer. Then he meets precious-gem investigator Sophia Toscana and becomes entangled in the theft of the famed Mecklenburg Diamond from an elusive master thief known as the Red Fox.

Blending historical fiction, spycraft, romance and irreverent humor, “Hunting the Red Fox” has earned a World’s Best Magazine Award for weaving adventure, espionage and redemption into historical fiction; an Independent Press Award for humor; and a NYC Big Book Award in the cross-genre category.

Purchase at https://tinyurl.com/hunting-the-red-fox. 

“From the Cyclops Cave: A Braided Memoir” by Don Schofield

Poet Don Schofield looks back on a childhood marked by abandonment, instability and a deep hunger to belong. Raised by a succession of adults after his father left him in the care of strangers, Schofield carries those early wounds into adulthood — and eventually to Greece.

From a primitive hut on the island of Kýthnos, known locally as the Cyclops Cave, he begins revisiting the past. The memoir moves between his solitary life in the Cyclades and vivid scenes from 1950s California, allowing memory to surface in fragments: painful, tender and sometimes uncertain.

Written with a poet’s attention to image and place, Schofield’s memoir explores resilience, identity, family and the complicated work of understanding the people who shaped us. Ultimately, it is a moving account of learning to care for the child he once was.

Purchase at https://tinyurl.com/from-the-cyclops-cave. 

(NewsUSA) - Analysis of more than 44 billion emails and 83 million text messages uncovers surprising patterns in when holiday shoppers buy, and what brings them back

Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) may be among the biggest shopping days of the holiday season, but new research suggests consumer activity continues well beyond those major promotional events.

During the 2025 peak shopping season, weekend order rates were twice weekday rates, even as brands sent significantly fewer marketing messages. The research also found that customers making their first purchase from a brand during BFCM spent more per order, on average, than repeat customers.

The findings come from Intuit Mailchimp’s Breaking Through Peak Season Noise report, developed with Datalily. The research analyzed more than 44 billion emails and 83 million text messages sent globally through Mailchimp from Halloween through New Year’s Eve 2025, providing insight into consumer behavior during the busiest shopping period of the year.

Here are several key findings from the research.

1. Quieter marketing days can still be strong shopping days

Some of the season’s strongest shopping activity occurred when brands were sending fewer messages.

Weekend order rates were twice weekday rates, while message volume fell by roughly 60% on weekends. On the Sunday between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, brands sent 59% fewer emails and 82% fewer text messages than they did on Black Friday.

The findings suggest that holiday shopping activity can continue even when promotional messaging becomes less frequent.

2. Text messages captured shoppers’ attention

Email remained the larger revenue driver overall, but text messaging generated strong engagement during periods of high shopping activity.

During BFCM weekend, SMS averaged a 15.7% click rate per message delivered, compared with 1.4% for email. At peak points during the season, SMS generated up to six times higher order rates than email and three times higher revenue per message.

The results highlight differences in how consumers respond to marketing channels during the holiday shopping season.

3. First-time customers spent more per order

The holiday season also brought new customers to brands. During BFCM weekend, shoppers making their first purchase from a brand accounted for 59% of email-attributed orders and nearly 70% of SMS-attributed orders.

First-time customers also had higher average order values. Through email, average order values for first-time buyers were 21% higher than those of repeat buyers. Through SMS, they were 39% higher.

For businesses, the findings suggest that holiday promotions can provide an opportunity not only to drive purchases but also to reach consumers who are shopping with a brand for the first time.

4. Some shoppers returned after the holidays

For some first-time customers, a holiday purchase was followed by another purchase in the new year.

Among shoppers who made their first purchase during peak season, 16.6% purchased again during the first quarter of 2026. Those who returned made their next purchase after a median of 26 days.

The findings point to the potential importance of the weeks following the holiday season as businesses continue communicating with newly acquired customers.

Looking Beyond the Holiday Rush

Taken together, the research offers a broader look at how consumers shop during the holidays. Shopping activity can remain strong beyond the biggest promotional days, consumers may respond differently across communication channels, and first-time customers can continue engaging with brands after their initial holiday purchase.

For businesses, understanding these patterns can help inform how and when they communicate with customers throughout the holiday season and into the new year.

To explore the full findings and interactive charts, visit Mailchimp’s Breaking Through Peak Season Noise report.

(NewsUSA) - Americans across the political spectrum agree on how the country should approach artificial intelligence, according to a new report by Gallup and 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 artificial intelligence.

In the report, "Looking to the Future: American Priorities for AI in 2026," majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and independents similarly endorsed survey responses on the need for education and regulation regarding the use of AI. The report was based on a nationally representative survey of more than 3,000 U.S. adults conducted online in June 2026 using Gallup’s U.S. panel.

"The key finding in this year's data is that Republicans, Democrats, and independents want the same things: teach STEM, train workers on the job, put safety and security ahead of speed, and let independent experts test these systems before the public depends on them," said Ylli Bajraktari, president of SCSP. "America's edge in this competition will not come from adoption alone; it will come from a public that has reason to trust what it is adopting,” he said.

Americans’ concerns about the impact of AI on the job market persist, with 70% stating that AI will destroy more jobs than it creates over the next decade, respondents consistently supported the need for AI education. 

Notably, 72% respondents support promoting STEM education as a channel to train workers to use AI in their future jobs, and 66% support creating on-the-job training programs that teach AI skills. However, respondents overall were split on adding AI skills to core K-12 classes such as reading or math, with 45% in support and 44% opposed.

In terms of security, 79% of respondents say the government should maintain safety and data-security rules even if such rules slow AI development, compared to 7% who would prioritize speed. Approximately two-thirds (60%) of respondents agreed that the U.S. government should create AI regulations, and 75% favored testing and evaluation of new AI systems by independent experts before such systems are widely disseminated.

On preparing the workforce, 72% of Americans support promoting STEM education to equip workers with the skills to use AI in their future jobs, and 66% support creating on-the-job training programs that teach workers AI skills. Republicans, Democrats, and independents express similar levels of support for both. Opinions remain split on adding AI skills to core K-12 classes like math or reading, with 45% in support and 44% opposed.

Half of the respondents (51%) say they use AI at least sometimes at work, school, or in their personal lives, up from 39% in 2025. Two in three (68%) describe themselves as knowledgeable about AI, up from 60% last year. The new report also shows increased trust among regular AI users since last year, but increased skepticism among non-users. 

"The public is becoming more experienced with AI while simultaneously becoming more cautious about its economic implications," said Gallup Principal, Justin Lall. "That combination of firsthand use and lingering concern makes workforce preparation more important than ever."

The data suggest room for compromise where attitudes towards AI diverge among parties. Republican respondents were more likely to favor mandatory age requirements, increasing AI in manufacturing, increasing energy production for AI systems, and reducing AI regulation. Democrat respondents were more likely to favor increasing government funding for AI research at colleges and universities. However, a majority of respondents across parties showed similar support for allowing companies and universities to use government resources for AI research. 

Visit scsp.ai to view the full report and learn more. 

(NewsUSA) - Ask an artificial intelligence platform for the best-known restaurants in Paris or the largest technology companies in America, and chances are it will have plenty to say.

Ask it about the family-owned manufacturer 10 miles away, a respected local accountant, a nonprofit doing remarkable work in your community or the business that has served your town for three generations, and the answer may be very different.

Sometimes artificial intelligence simply doesn't know.

That raises an increasingly important question as millions of Americans begin using AI to decide what to buy, where to go and whom to trust:

Will local businesses and communities be adequately represented in the AI age?

AI Has a Local Information Problem

Artificial intelligence systems don't experience communities the way people do.

They don't drive down Main Street. They don't attend the Rotary Club luncheon, watch the high school football game or hear a neighbor recommend a local contractor.

They depend heavily on information that is available to them digitally.

And that can create an imbalance.

Large national companies generate enormous amounts of online information. They are covered by national media, discussed on thousands of websites and mentioned constantly across the internet.

A highly respected local business may have a website, a Facebook page and a handful of reviews.

That difference could become increasingly important.

The New Word of Mouth

For decades, local businesses grew largely through reputation and word of mouth.

Those recommendations aren't going away. But consumers now have another place to ask for advice.

Artificial intelligence.

Someone moving to a new community might ask an AI assistant:

“Who are the most respected financial advisers near me?”

A homeowner might ask:

“What local companies can replace my roof?”

A parent could ask:

“What organizations in my area provide tutoring for teenagers?”

And a business owner might ask:

“Who are the leading accountants for small businesses in this region?”

The answers AI provides depend, in part, on the information available for it to discover and understand.

Local News May Become More Important, Not Less

That creates an interesting new role for local journalism.

Local newspapers have always documented the life of their communities: new businesses, civic organizations, local experts, elections, charitable activities, economic development and the people doing noteworthy things.

Those stories aren't simply today's news.

They also become part of a community's digital history.

“Local newspapers document things that frequently aren't documented anywhere else,” said Rick Smith, founder and CEO of News USA, which has distributed editorial content to news organizations across the country for nearly four decades.

“As people increasingly ask AI systems questions rather than simply searching Google, credible local information may become even more valuable. If information about a community doesn't exist online, an AI system has very little to work with.”

Being Good Isn't the Same as Being Discoverable

Consider two local businesses.

One has operated successfully for 25 years, supports community organizations and has hundreds of loyal customers—but has generated very little independent information online.

The other is relatively new but has been interviewed by local media, publishes useful information about its industry and has developed a substantial digital presence.

A longtime resident may know immediately which business has the stronger reputation.

An AI system doesn't have that life experience.

It has information.

That doesn't mean businesses should manufacture publicity simply to influence artificial intelligence. Nor does appearing in an article guarantee that ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity or another AI system will mention or recommend a company.

It does suggest that accurate, credible information about local organizations needs to exist in places where people—and potentially machines—can find it.

A New Question for Small Businesses

For years, business owners were told to ask:

“Can people find us on Google?”

Now there may be a second question:

“What happens when people ask AI about us?”

News USA has begun examining that question through what it calls AI Authority—looking at how companies appear across major AI platforms, how their competitors appear and what credible information about the company exists online.

The answers can sometimes be surprising.

A company may have a beautiful website and excellent search-engine rankings but barely appear when consumers ask AI systems questions about its industry.

Another company may repeatedly appear because there is a larger body of independent information supporting its expertise and reputation.

Put Your Town to the Test

There's a remarkably simple experiment anyone can conduct.

Open your favorite AI platform and ask it five questions about your community:

What businesses is this town known for?

Who are some respected local entrepreneurs?

What are the best locally owned businesses?

What organizations are making a difference here?

What should someone moving here know about the community?

Then look at what's missing.

Long-established businesses may be absent. Important nonprofit organizations may not appear. Community leaders everyone in town knows may be invisible.

There may even be outdated or incorrect information.

That gap between what a community actually knows about itself and what artificial intelligence knows about it could become one of the more interesting challenges of the AI era.

America's Communities Need a Digital Record

Artificial intelligence is often discussed as though its future will be determined entirely in Silicon Valley.

But its usefulness will also depend upon the quality of information coming from thousands of communities across America.

That's where local journalism has something technology cannot easily manufacture: firsthand knowledge of a community.

The restaurant opening downtown. The third-generation manufacturer adding 40 jobs. The teacher receiving a statewide award. The entrepreneur building an unusual company. The nonprofit quietly helping hundreds of families.

Individually, they are local stories.

Collectively, they are the record of a community.

And in an era when machines increasingly help people discover information, preserving that record may matter more than anyone expected.

To learn more about how organizations can evaluate what leading AI platforms know about them, visit NewsUSA.ai.

(NewsUSA) - For generations, college students preparing to enter the workforce worried about what a prospective employer might find when searching their name online.

Today, there is a new question to consider:

What will artificial intelligence say about you?

As millions of people turn to tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity to research companies, products and people, artificial intelligence is beginning to change not only how information is found, but also how reputations are formed.

For today's college students, that could have important implications for everything from internships and first jobs to entrepreneurship and professional networking.

From Google Search to AI Answers

For more than two decades, building a professional presence online largely meant thinking about Google.

Students created LinkedIn profiles, personal websites and online portfolios with the expectation that recruiters or prospective employers might search for them.

That isn't disappearing. But AI is adding another layer.

Instead of searching through a list of websites, people can now ask questions such as:

“Who are some promising young software developers in Washington?”

“Who has expertise in sustainable fashion?”

“What should I know about this person before interviewing them?”

The AI system may then assemble an answer based on information it can find from numerous sources.

That means the challenge for the next generation of professionals may not simply be being searchable. It may be being understandable and credible to AI.

Your Digital Reputation Starts Earlier Than You Think

Rick Smith, founder and CEO of News USA, a content syndication company that has helped organizations gain media visibility for nearly four decades, believes students should begin thinking about their digital reputations before graduation.

“Most students understandably think about their résumé and LinkedIn profile,” Smith said. “Those are still important. But the next generation is going to enter a world where AI systems increasingly help people research companies, products and individuals. The information that exists about you online may become part of that process.”

That doesn't mean students should try to manipulate AI systems.

Instead, Smith says students can concentrate on something much more basic: doing credible things and making sure there is accurate information about those accomplishments on the public web.

Build Evidence, Not Just a Profile

A LinkedIn profile is something you write about yourself.

Third-party recognition is different.

A student who conducts research with a professor, launches a small business, leads a community project, wins a competition, develops an interesting piece of software or becomes knowledgeable about a particular subject may have opportunities to be mentioned by a university, student newspaper, professional association, local news organization or other independent source.

Those references can help create a more complete digital record of a person's work.

The distinction matters because AI systems often have many possible sources available when constructing answers. Clear, consistent information appearing across credible public sources can make a person or organization easier to understand.

There is no guarantee that a particular article or online mention will cause an AI system to cite or recommend someone. AI platforms use different technologies and constantly changing methods for generating their answers.

But students can begin building a legitimate body of evidence about who they are and what they know.

Five Things Students Can Start Doing Now

Students don't need a public-relations firm to begin.

First, develop expertise in something. Being genuinely knowledgeable about a specific subject is more valuable than trying to appear knowledgeable about everything.

Second, create original work. Research, articles, projects, businesses, software, videos and community initiatives give other people something substantive to discover.

Third, seek legitimate third-party recognition. Campus newspapers, professional organizations, competitions and local media can provide independent documentation of accomplishments.

Fourth, keep information consistent. Use your real name consistently and make it clear what you study, what you've accomplished and what subjects you know.

Fifth, periodically ask the major AI platforms about yourself. Don't be concerned if they initially know little or nothing. Instead, treat it as another way of understanding your current digital footprint.

The Same Change Is Affecting Businesses

Companies are confronting a similar issue.

News USA has traditionally helped businesses and organizations publish and distribute editorial-style content through news outlets around the country. Today, the company is also examining how organizations appear when consumers ask AI systems questions about their industries.

The company calls the broader concept AI Authority—understanding what information AI systems find about an organization, how competitors appear and what credible information may be missing from the public record.

The principle applies to individuals as well.

AI cannot discover accomplishments that were never documented.

Today's Students Will Build the AI Economy

Students entering college today may spend their entire careers working in an economy in which artificial intelligence helps people decide what to buy, where to work, whom to hire and which sources to trust.

That makes understanding AI more than a technology issue.

It is increasingly a career issue.

Learning how to use AI will undoubtedly matter. But students may eventually discover that another skill is just as important:

learning how to build a professional reputation that both people and machines can understand.

For more information about AI visibility and how organizations are measuring their presence across major AI platforms, visit NewsUSA.ai.

(NewsUSA) - A parent should never be afraid to walk into their child’s school. Yet nearly one in five Hispanic parents say they have skipped or avoided a school event in the past year because of immigration concerns.

And that is only part of the picture. According to a recent survey from the National School Choice Awareness Foundation, 57% of Hispanic parents say the current immigration policy environment is at least a somewhat concerning factor in their family’s daily life. 14% have kept their child home from school, and 11% have avoided contacting a teacher or a school staff member. When fear begins to influence whether a parent attends a school event, talks to a teacher, or sends a child to class, it becomes an education issue. 

None of this is about which side of the immigration debate a parent is on. It is about what happens when fear enters a decision that used to be simple: whether to walk into your child's school. As a Latina and a mother of two teenagers in a traditional public school myself, I know what our community brings to this country: Latinos drove 28% of all U.S. economic growth last year alone, and our economy, standing on its own, would rank as the fourth largest in the world. I am proud of that. And it pains me to know how many of our children are living in this fear.

As we recognize Hispanic Heritage Month, it is also an important moment to listen to what Hispanic families are telling us about their children’s education and what they need to feel informed and supported.

When we asked parents what would actually help them navigate this moment, the answer that came back most often, ahead of legal help, ahead of mental health support, was strikingly basic. Forty-one% said they simply want clear information about their children's right to a public education, regardless of immigration status; in other words, we just want our children to be educated and to prosper like any other child. 

That right is not a matter of opinion. The Supreme Court settled it more than four decades ago in Plyler v. Doe, ruling that states cannot deny a free public education to a child because of immigration status.  Yet that protection is only meaningful if families know about it. Clear, accessible information can help ensure parents understand the rights their children already have.

That same gap between what families want and what they know shows up again when we look at school choice. 41% of the parents we surveyed said immigration concerns have led them to consider, actively explore, or choose a different kind of school or learning environment for their child in the past year. For many families, these concerns are becoming part of how they think about where and how their child learns.

And while we are talking about Hispanic families, this is not a story about one community, set apart from the rest of the country; it is about our country. Almost three in 10 public school students in the United States are Hispanic today, according to federal education data, and roughly one in four American children under eighteen are Latino, a share that has been growing for years, according to the Census Bureau. Those numbers make one thing clear: Latino children's education is not a side issue. It is part of the future of this country's classrooms, workforce, and communities. 

No child, whatever their family's background, should have to carry a worry bigger than a spelling test or a reading level. Every child deserves a school where they can grow up happy, capable, and free to build the life they choose. 

Schools, districts, and community organizations all have a role to play. That means making sure families understand, in plain language and in the language they speak at home, their child’s right to a public education. It also means helping parents understand the learning options available to them so they can make informed decisions for their children. Resources like Conoce Tus Opciones Escolares can help Spanish-speaking families explore those options and find information in their own language.

A parent who knows what learning options are available to her child can make a confident, informed choice for that child's future. That is not a partisan ask. It is simply what every family in this country deserves.

Krissia Campos Spivey is the senior director of Conoce tus Opciones Escolares, a National School Choice Awareness Foundation project that helps U.S. families who speak Spanish explore their K-12 education options and choose a great school for their children. Krissia is Salvadoran-American and lives in Wake Forest, North Carolina.

(NewsUSA) - BIX, the neo-finance app that pairs a self-custody crypto wallet with a Visa card, is accelerating its push into the United States, appointing David Imonitie as head of US sales as it works toward near-nationwide availability.

The company currently supports eligible residents of 29 US states, subject to identity verification and programme requirements, and says it is targeting expansion to 49 states within six to eight months, subject to applicable approvals and partner readiness.

"We are excited about the states we are open in and have great expectations for the rest. That will not dampen our enthusiasm or our work ethic in growing customer acquisition. The other states will open, and in the meantime we will grow," Imonitie said.

BIX is not a new entrant. The app and its virtual card programme are already operating, and the company describes the current phase as an expansion of an established business rather than an initial launch.

The product combines a self-custody wallet with a Visa card programme. Users hold USDC or USDT across supported combinations of Ethereum, BNB Smart Chain, Base, Solana and Optimism, and spend against that balance at merchants worldwide. Purchases run through Visa and settle to the merchant in fiat.

Standard membership is free and a virtual Visa card costs $9.99. The company says there are no funding fees, with a 1% FX fee applied to eligible foreign-currency purchases under the US programme. Spending limits are, in BIX's description, flexible and customizable based on the user's deposited collateral, subject to programme requirements.

The business operates as Bix Ltd, registered in the Cayman Islands with operating offices in Dubai. BIX is a finance app rather than a bank, with card issuing and other regulated financial services delivered through third-party institutions under their respective arrangements.

Several additions are in development. BIX Plus, at $119 a year, will bundle access to Visa Signature cards with eligible benefits such as airport lounge access, rental-car insurance and travel discounts, with packages depending on programme and country. Lounge access does not necessarily include complimentary visits.

Plus will also introduce virtual accounts, supporting incoming payments and outgoing fiat transfers connecting stablecoin balances with ACH, SEPA and SWIFT, including details such as IBANs. Physical cards are planned at $99, separate from membership, with a 0.6% BIX ATM withdrawal fee.

The most substantial change in the pipeline is direct wallet-linked spending, under which eligible card purchases will draw against supported wallet balances without a separate top-up. Until that rollout completes, card funding uses a separate smart contract.

Crypto cards have existed for years, but the category has been held back by two problems: volatile assets unsuited to everyday spending, and custody arrangements that required users to hand their assets to a provider. Dollar-pegged stablecoins addressed the first. Self-custody models are an attempt at the second.

Imonitie said it was the simplicity of the product that drew him to the role.

"What made me decide to take this role was very simple. I wanted to be at the forefront of the future of payments. The simplicity that BIX provides was undeniable and exciting for all people, whether you understand crypto or not."

Availability remains the sector's binding constraint. No provider in the category currently offers uniform nationwide US coverage, and expansion timelines depend on approvals and partner institutions rather than on product readiness.

More at bix.fi and on Instagram.

David Imonitie is head of US sales at BIX. Find him on Instagram.