(NewsUSA) - Past month underage alcohol consumption in the United States has decreased by 53% in the past 20 years, and the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility (Responsibility.org) is celebrating the efforts of parents, caregivers, educators, and communities to keep kids alcohol-free. New survey data released by the organization also notes that conversations between caregivers and their children have increased 31% during this time, showing that these interactions are working.

This year marks the 20^th anniversary of Ask, Listen, Learn, a free, digital underage drinking prevention program developed by Responsibility.org that features resources and materials that educate kids about the impact of alcohol and cannabis on their developing brains to help them make healthy, informed decisions.

The Ask, Listen, Learn program is aimed at kids aged 9-13 years old and is designed to empower them to say "YES" to a healthy lifestyle and "NO" to underage drinking. It also highlights the importance of goal setting, decision making, and modeling responsible behaviors as keys to staying substance-free.

“Kids really are listening and watching adults,” says Leslie Kimball, executive director at Responsibility.org. “As parents, it’s important that we continue building healthy relationships with our children, as we’re vital to keeping them alcohol-free and modeling mindful, balanced behaviors.” 

A new study released by Responsibility.org in March 2023 confirms that kids are listening when their guardians are talking. Approximately one-third (33%) of children surveyed identified their parents as the leading influence on their decision to drink or not drink alcohol, followed by best friends (25%), and social media (17%).

Parents in general have boosted their communication skills with kids, and vice versa. For example, 95% of parents or caregivers in the 2023 survey reported having spoken to their kids about the dangers of underage drinking at least once in the past year, and 90% of kids reported the same.

In honor of the 20^th anniversary of Ask, Listen, Learn, Responsibility.org is launching a campaign, #Take20WithKids, that encourages adults to “take 20” minutes, seconds, or even deep breaths to connect, reflect upon, and discuss the risks associated with underage drinking, to model responsible behavior, or to take action on a goal. 

Responsibility.org’s programs have helped families and educators guide youth towards a healthy and balanced lifestyle. The organization’s website and active social media channels provide adults with digestible information at their fingertips to spark discussions about refraining from drinking alcohol underage as well as the effects of underage cannabis use.

For more information on the Ask, Listen, Learn program and #Take20WithKids, visit www.asklistenlearn.org.

(NewsUSA) - Pool season is in full swing, and regular maintenance is the key to enjoying your pool.

While some pool owners may consider skimping on maintenance to cut costs, keeping up with the regular pool care costs less than correcting the major problems that can result from taking shortcuts. 

Potential unpleasant consequences of inadequate pool maintenance include:

Overeager Algae 
Pools not cleaned regularly provide the perfect conditions for algae to develop and spread. Algae spores can enter your pool at any time, especially after strong winds and storms, so routine cleaning and maintaining proper water balance throughout pool season is essential. Don't forget that warmer water encourages algae growth. As we encounter higher-than-normal and even record-setting heat across many areas of the U.S., be sure to test your pool water more often — especially when the air temperature is above 90°F. It's also recommended to run your single-speed pool pump and filter at least one hour a day per every 10°F when temperatures exceed 90°F. That means, for example, for an average size pool, if the temp is 110°F, you would run your pool pump for 10 hours versus the typical eight hours in a 24-hour period. Variable-speed pumps will also require increased run time to keep the water well circulated and properly filtered in hot weather — in extreme heat add an extra hour or two on low speed to the regular programmed schedule.

Unhealthy Swimming Conditions
Unsanitary pool water can cause eye and skin irritation, intestinal issues, as well as other illnesses. Most pool owners check sanitizer levels at least two or three times a week. If your pool water doesn’t have enough sanitizer, it can promote algae growth and the spread of infectious microorganisms. Maintain proper water balance and use superchlorinators, such as pool shock, to boost chlorine levels. 

Stained surfaces 
Without regular cleaning, stain and scale buildup will develop on pool surfaces and equipment. Using preventive products and sticking to a regular cleaning schedule will keep unsightly buildup at bay. A weekly pool cleaning routine should include skimming out large debris, brushing pool surfaces, and vacuuming debris from the pool floor. Also, be sure to regularly clean your pump strainer, skimmer baskets, and the pool filter to ensure proper water circulation. Good water circulation is essential to effectively distribute sanitizer and other chemical treatments throughout the pool. 

Water treatment and testing are the foundations of good pool care. While weekly water testing may seem tedious, especially when using at-home test kits or strips, consistency pays off in terms of safety and comfort. Attention to regular water care keeps your pool a pleasure to use, and helps prevent more costly problems, such as corrosion and damage to your pool and equipment caused by imbalanced water chemistry. This is where the experts at Leslie's can help. Leslie's offers free, in-store AccuBlue^® water testing that analyzes 10 aspects of your pool's water chemistry in under 60 seconds. You'll also receive a comprehensive water health score and a customized, easy-to-follow water treatment plan based on the test results. 

“It’s much faster and more cost-effective to make small, precisely measured adjustments to water chemistry according to your weekly water test results,” says Clay Spann, Senior Vice President of Merchandising at Leslie's, the leading and most trusted pool and spa care brand in the U.S. "If you try to make major adjustments based on assumptions, it's very easy to accidentally overdose the pool, which can cause additional water balance issues requiring more time and chemicals to correct."

Regular pool care with the right products will save you money and hassle, leaving you more time to enjoy your pool. 

Visit www.lesliespool.com for more information.

(Julian Canete) - According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, nearly half of all Americans struggle with health care costs. For many, it's the single largest cost in their budget. As someone that represents thousands of small businesses that employ millions of workers, this is a critical priority that we need to address immediately. Research provided by Blue Cross found that from 2014 to 2019, drug prices increased by 14%. This is an overwhelming reality to most, and unfortunately, minority populations have been hit the hardest by these price increases.

In my home state of California, where Latinos make up 40 percent of the population, many folks struggle to decide whether to pay their rent or get their needed medications. Rising health care prices only exacerbate existing disparities for members of minority and low-income communities, who are already less likely to have health insurance and more likely to face challenging health outcomes. As if this weren’t enough, the skyrocketing prices of prescription drugs make it increasingly difficult for employers to offer their employees affordable health coverage and for families to afford their prescriptions. With such high prices, business owners and individuals are forced to make sacrifices to access quality health care.

Fortunately, small business owners and other employers work with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to significantly reduce costs for workers and their families. On average, PBMs help patients and employers save 40-50 percent on prescription drugs. For every $1 employers spend on PBMs’ services, they save approximately $10. PBMs are one of the only health care entities working to bring down the cost of prescription drugs.

They do this in a number of ways. First, since PBMs work with multiple employers that together cover thousands, or even tens or hundreds of thousands, of employees, they are able to leverage their buying power to negotiate against big drug companies for lower drug costs. PBMs also work with employers to create benefit plans that work best for them and their employees, no matter if it’s a local small business in Salinas or a national company based in Los Angeles. They provide options that may include certain lower-cost pharmacy locations, convenient and affordable home-delivery plans where patients can receive three months of prescriptions for just two months’ copay, and even work with national third-party accreditation organizations that ensure pharmacy safety and quality standards.

PBMs are just one step toward lower costs. Other programs to promote preventive care and healthy habits can make a huge difference in the amount we all spend on health care. From our chamber affiliates, working families, union workers and large and small businesses, we’ve heard positive feedback on the combination of preventive care initiatives and working with PBMs.  As a result of the work, we do with our PBM, we can offer discounts on insurance.

Working collaboratively with not only our PBM but also our local pharmacies and health care providers allows us to continue to offer our members and their families simple affordable health care benefits.

Apparently, most of us agree that prescription drugs should be affordable. A recent survey showed that 85 percent of voters say that affordable employer-provided health care and prescription drug coverage is important to them. What’s more, when given a choice, 69 percent would rather pick up a less expensive prescription at a certain pharmacy rather than a more expensive prescription at the pharmacy of their choice.

California has always led the country on important issues. We pride ourselves on being a forward-thinking state that combats inequality in all its forms – in education, health care and economic reforms. Unfortunately, in the case of health care, we are falling behind states like Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Wyoming, to name a few. I urge our elected leaders to prioritize legislation that combats our health care and prescription drug inequalities – and lowering the cost of prescription drugs is a good place to start.

Source: Pharmaceutical Care Management Association

When pharmacy benefit management programs are allowed to operate as they currently do, they push back on the high prices that big drug companies set, giving employers and individuals more flexibility in their health care options. It’s important that our state legislators prioritize the well-being of small businesses and hardworking families over the profits of big drug companies, and not create more barriers to accessing health care for our communities.

The cost of living continues to rise for everyone, making it difficult for communities to afford everyday essentials. In this uncertain economy with higher interest rates and inflation, we have witnessed communities struggling. Creating more barriers to accessing lower-cost care is not the way to solve the growing health inequities in the U.S.

As head of the one of the largest minority Chambers of Commerce in the U.S., I sincerely hope that our legislative leaders in all states consider all their options and opportunities to help people, specifically small business owners and working families, save their hard-earned money when addressing the high cost of prescription drugs which will help communities overcome the preexisting systematic inequalities that they face every single day.   For more source information:  www.pcmanet.org/value-of-pbms

Mr. Canete is the CEO, California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

(NewsUSA) - Longleaf pine was once the dominant tree species in the American south, covering more than 90 million acres from Virginia to Texas. These forests, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, represent some of the world’s most biologically diverse ecosystems and are home to nearly 600 plant and animal species, including 29 threatened and endangered species.

But over the last two centuries, agriculture, development, timbering and fire suppression have reduced the longleaf pine’s ecosystem range by almost 97 percent. The towering evergreen got its name for having the longest leaves of the eastern pine species. Often, as they disappeared, these valuable trees were replaced with less expensive and faster-growing varieties.

That loss of ecosystem has been detrimental to the vast animal and plant species that depend on it. That’s why Williams is helping the Arbor Day Foundation replant 50,000 longleaf pine trees in North Carolina, South Carolina and Louisiana. Williams is an energy infrastructure company that moves one third of the nation’s natural gas.

“Trees and forests are an important part of the solution to some of the most pressing issues facing people and our planet,” said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “The forests we support through this partnership are vital to the health of area wildlife and the continued prosperity of the broader ecosystem.”

As the trees grow, they will help reduce forest fragmentation and give a home to endangered wildlife like the red-cockaded woodpecker, indigo snake and gopher tortoise. They’ll also reduce erosion, due to their ability to grow in sandy and mountainous areas. And because longleaf pine is resistant to weather extremes and disease, these positive impacts have the potential to continue well into the future.

“We are immensely grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with the Arbor Day Foundation and make a positive impact together,” said Mark Gebbia, Vice President of Environmental & Regulatory for Williams. “These projects are a way to give back to the environment for the benefit of generations to come.”

Williams has partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation on eight projects since 2020, supporting the restoration of 125,290 trees across 247 acres in six states, including New Jersey, Virginia and Alabama.

Planting tree seedlings is one of many environmental stewardship and sustainability projects that Williams is supporting along its nationwide footprint. Others include wetland restorations, building hiking trails, developing wildlife crossings and funding intercity marine education programs.     

For more information, visit www.williams.com/sustainability.

(NewsUSA) - Patrick Girondi is not your typical author. Actually, he’s not your typical individual. A high school dropout originally from the South Side of Chicago, he is an Italian and American singer-songwriter, author, and pharmaceutical CEO. He has released seven music albums, written several books including a Wall Street Journal #1 bestseller, has won countless awards, been a guest on Oprah, and has battled toe to toe with big pharma to defend his small but ground-breaking gene therapy company focused on bringing a safe and accessible cure to Sickle Cell Disease and Thalassemia patients.

He is entertaining and eccentric, does not do things the conventional way, wears his emotions on his sleeve, is articulate and observant about the world around him, and brings a raw and real brand of writing to the literary world with stories that mirror his journey.

Girondi made his mark on the literary landscape with FLIGHT OF THE RONDONE, released in May 2022, a true rags-to-riches tale the New York Times stated is “meant for television.” In this real-life tale, Girondi starts his career shining shoes, stealing car parts, and escaping life-threatening situations while outwitting the Chicago police. He claws up to being a famous success story on the Oprah Show. But his fortunes quickly change when his eldest son, Santino, is diagnosed with a fatal blood disease. Girondi hunts for a cure in a drama that has boundless implications in the world of gene therapy. 

As Girondi writes, “I’d been strangled, shot at, skated more than twenty arrests, made it through three FBI witch hunts and went from the docks to trading and big money. I would see my son cured. How hard could it be?”

After decades of struggle, as CEO of San Rocco Therapeutics, he delivers the world’s first commercial batch of vector with the potential to cure Sickle Cell Disease and Thalassemia. But the success of the cure is imperiled in a world of lab jackets, mysterious deaths, and cut-throat Wall Street banksters. 

His most recent release, NEW CITY, is a story about race baiting and hope on the South Side of Chicago. The protagonist, Danny, grew up in New City, home of what was once the world’s largest slaughterhouse, the Chicago Stockyards. After his wife’s infidelity, he steps out of what the US calls the “white man's” world. 

New City becomes the target of gentrification. Danny owes over $100,000 in taxes and fines on his house worth no more than $10,000. He knows it’s just a matter of time before he’s living on the streets or worse.

A prolific writer and innovator, Girondi has three more books around the corner, all written in his gritty, pull-no-punches style: FADED GENES: Searching for a Cure and Finding Home in Altamura, Italy; CHIVALRY; and BLIND FAITH. All of his titles explore the themes of companionship, loyalty, brotherhood, and community.

Musically, Patrick Girondi & the Orphan’s Dream band published its first CD, ‘Orphan’s Soul’ in 2004. All of the albums are about Orphan Disease (Rare Disease) and how it has affected  Patrick’s life. The fifth album, “Orphan’s Return,” was released days before the culmination of Girondi’s five-year pharmaceutical court battle. 

Some have compared him to Saul Bellow or Studs Terkel, steep praise indeed. For a talented and unconventional new voice with poignant characters, meanings and messages, experience the books of Patrick Girondi. Learn more at patrickgirondi.com.

(NewsUSA) - Are you thinking of a career change? As you explore new possibilities, you’ll likely want a profession that offers personal fulfillment, encourages professional growth, provides greater opportunities for advancement, thrives in a rapidly expanding industry, and boasts attractive financial benefits.

You’ll find all these benefits and more in a career as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^™ professional, as well as plenty of resources to help you make the career switch. And financial planning makes use of key skills that you've probably developed at previous jobs, including interpersonal communication, relationship management, analysis, marketing and project management.

Becoming a CFP^® professional requires earning the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^™ certification, which is the standard for competent and ethical financial planning. The CFP^® mark after your name signals to clients and employers that you’re a knowledgeable partner who is committed to putting your clients’ interests first.

Earning your CFP^® certification provides many advantages:

• Competitive Edge: 83% of CFP^® professionals say they have a competitive edge over other financial advisors.
• Trust: 90% of consumers are more confident working with an advisor who has a financial planning designation.
• Success: 86% of CFP^® professionals say that certification has had a positive impact on their career satisfaction.
• High Pay: Earning CFP^® certification can increase your income by 12%, with experienced advisors earning on average $192,000 a year.

The Path to Becoming A CFP^® Professional

Becoming a CFP^® professional means completing requirements for the “4 E’s”: Education, Exam, Experience, and Ethics.

• Education: Complete financial planning coursework through a CFP Board Registered Program and hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (in any discipline) from an accredited college or university. If you have advanced degrees or professional certifications, you may be eligible to skip most of the coursework requirement, allowing you to sit for the CFP^® exam sooner.
• Exam: Demonstrate your competency in comprehensive personal financial planning by passing the CFP^® exam. The 6-hour exam features stand-alone, scenario-based, and case study questions.
• Experience: Gain the necessary experience to provide unsupervised personal financial planning services. You can meet this requirement either before or after the CFP^® exam by completing 6,000 hours of professional experience related to financial planning or 4,000 hours of apprenticeship experience that meets additional criteria.
• Ethics: Commit to abide by the Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct for CFP^® professionals and act as a fiduciary and always prioritize your clients’ best interests when providing financial advice.

You Have Questions. We Have Answers.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board) offers many resources to help ensure a seamless transition toward a successful and fulfilling career as a CFP^® professional.

CFP Board’s Candidate Forum allows you to connect with other candidates to share experiences and engage with others who are at various stages on their path to CFP^® certification. Invaluable mentoring resources can connect you to experienced CFP^® professionals who can offer guidance and support. You can also use our library of resources or join upcoming webinars and other events to support your career change.

When you’re ready to start your job search, we can help. The CFP Board Career Center is a free online resource that lists current job and internship opportunities in financial planning. Here you can create your profile, upload your resume, and view open positions for all experience levels.

Your financial planning career awaits. Get started today.

(NewsUSA) - I Got It from Here by Francesca Miracola

Raw and illuminating, this is one woman’s story of saving herself and her children from the grips of a sociopath posing as a family man—and from the inherited trauma passed down by her own family of birth—while learning to trust in the inner voice that’s been trying to guide her all along.

Growing up in an Italian American family in Queens, NY, in the ’70s, the author was trained to keep up appearances—but her parents’ toxic marriage served as a blueprint for dysfunction. So when she meets Jason, she ignores all the red flags and dives right in, normalizing his emotional and physical abuse. She even marries and has two children, but something clicks one night, and she decides she is done. Except Jason won’t let her go. Purchase at https://amzn.to/3WUWGbC.

The Four Swords: A Parable of Leadership, Video Games, and Dead Dragons by Paul Tozour

A unique leadership book written as a “leadership fable” in the style of Patrick Lencioni’s classic The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. The Four Swords was written to shine a light on the critical link between culture, values, and outcomes, and to illustrate how the values of an organization create that organization’s culture -- and how that culture drives its outcomes.

It offers a gritty, in-the-trenches view of the harsh realities of modern video game development, as four hard-working game developers struggle with team dysfunction, obstinate leadership, broken tools and processes, difficult conversations, and personality conflicts. This is a book full of surprises, including countless plot twists and real-world violence. It works on its own as entertaining fiction. Purchase at https://bit.ly/3Q4U49H.

The Adventures of Strawberryhead and Gingerbread by KF Wheatie and KM Wheatie

The book, written by two children, is a story about a brother and sister, Strawberryhead and Gingerbread, along with their black lab Solomon, who take a fun-filled adventure to the lake, where they go fishing, swim, make friends, and show off their special powers.

But the book is more than just an adventure tale. It is designed to teach children about friendship and inclusivity, and that all challenges children face are stepping stones to joy and harmony. Differences in children are to be celebrated – an important lesson for children to grasp, and while many children easily embrace this message, others are not so welcoming, especially at an early age. This book is perfect for kids of all ages looking to experience the sweet treat of reading and enjoy a fun-filled day of adventure. Purchase at https://bit.ly/44O3ef0.

Summons to Berlin by Joanne Intrator 

On his deathbed, Dr. Joanne Intrator’s father poses two unsettling questions: “Are you tough enough? Do they know who you are?”

Joanne soon realizes that these haunting questions relate to a center-city Berlin building that the Nazis ripped away from her family in 1938. But a decade is to pass before she will fully come to grasp why her father threw down the gauntlet as he did.

Repeatedly, Joanne’s restitution quest brings her into confrontation with yet another of her profound fears surrounding Germany and the Holocaust. Having to call on reserves of strength she’s unsure she possesses, the author leans into her professional command of psychiatry, often overcoming flabbergasting obstacles perniciously dumped in her path. In the end, Joanne proves tough enough to satisfy her father’s unnerving final demands. Purchase at https://bit.ly/43PzBd1.

(NewsUSA) - For U.S. Army veteran David Crenshaw, K9s For Warriors means two lives saved — his own and his service dog Doc, a German shorthaired pointer rescued from the kill-list at a local shelter.

K9s For Warriors is the nation’s largest provider of trained service dogs for veterans with PTSD, traumatic brain injury and/or military sexual trauma.

“I was isolated, detached and hoping I would die in the line of duty when I reached out to K9s For Warriors,” said Crenshaw.

Crenshaw still remembers the moment he laid eyes on his service dog for the very first time. That day would change his life forever. He nervously opened the door to a gated yard at K9s For Warriors and found warm brown eyes with a ferocious wagging tail waiting for him. That was just the start of their forever friendship.

“Doc feels my emotions. He calms me. The bond has been lifesaving,” Crenshaw said.

Doc has even brought comfort to other service members.

“I was in a department store and a man approached me. He told me he was a United States Marine veteran before he dropped to his knees and got emotional. He told me he had been contemplating suicide, but this moment just saved him. If Doc can do this for a stranger, just imagine what he does for me and my family,” said Crenshaw.

K9s For Warriors, a veteran service organization, was founded in 2011 because of a mother’s love. Shari Duval watched her son struggle with the invisible wounds of war. She noticed his service dog made all the difference in his life, so she dedicated her life to bringing this therapy to other veterans. Twelve years later, more than 875 warriors have graduated from K9s For Warriors’ program, and more than 2,000 dogs have been rescued.

K9s For Warriors rescues most of its dogs from shelters and for six to eight months trains those K9s to become service dogs for American heroes. Because of generous donations, the organization provides these dogs at no cost to veterans.

“We have found through scientific research from University of Arizona’s OHAIRE Lab that not only do these service dogs mitigate their veteran’s symptoms of PTSD, they also simultaneously restore their confidence and independence," said K9s For Warriors CEO Carl Cricco.

Army veteran Becca Stephens said her service dog Bobbi — a bright-eyed yellow Labrador retriever — has done just that.

“It was like the scene in ‘Avatar’ when they attach themselves to the animal. That’s exactly how I felt when I took the leash from the trainer,” said Stephens. She self-medicated for years to try and get a handle on her PTSD and sadly considered taking her own life. All of that changed when she met Bobbi in August 2018.

“Veterans are the heart and soul of this country, and some of us feel like we are drowning. It’s hard because we’ve been trained to look out for everyone but ourselves. K9s For Warriors reminds us that we really can get better.”

K9s For Warriors’ mission is to save two lives — a veteran and a rescue dog.

“The support from generous Americans who love veterans and want to save shelter dogs helps us deliver on our promise. We are extremely grateful for the support because together we are making a difference in the lives of our nation’s heroes,” said Cricco.

To learn more about K9s For Warriors or consider giving, visit www.K9sForWarriors.org