(NewsUSA) - As families prepare for a new school year, artificial intelligence will be in more and more classrooms. Much of the conversation has focused on whether schools should embrace it or fear it. Parents are asking a different question: Will it help my child succeed?

As schools increasingly integrate AI into teaching and learning, the focus is shifting from whether the technology belongs in classrooms to how it should be used and who should help shape those decisions.

Just as there´s no one-size-fits-all approach to education, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to using AI in the classroom. For some families, the best fit is their neighborhood public school. For others, it's a public charter school, a magnet school, an online school, a private school, home education, or a microschool. Parents are bringing that same mindset to AI. Rather than asking whether every school should use it the same way, they're asking whether it's helping their child learn. According to a recent survey from the National School Choice Awareness Foundation, most parents are open to AI in schools; 76% support at least some use of it. 

The public conversation often frames AI as a choice between embracing it or rejecting it. Parents see it differently. They're less interested in the debate itself and more interested in whether AI can help their children learn. When asked about AI's greatest promise, 42% of parents chose its ability to personalize learning to each student's needs and pace, twice the share who pointed to preparing students for AI-driven careers (21%).

Parents are using the same lens they apply to most education debates: Will this help my child learn? That's exactly the standard schools should apply. If used thoughtfully, AI can help teachers identify learning gaps earlier, adapt instruction to individual students, provide additional support where it's needed, translate materials for multilingual families, and reduce administrative work so they can spend more time doing what matters most: teaching, mentoring, and building relationships with students.

For schools in America, AI is no longer a hypothetical. As of today,  35 states have released guidance for K-12 schools, addressing everything from classroom instruction and academic integrity to student privacy, teacher training, and family engagement. Schools, too, are moving from asking whether AI belongs in education to determining how it can be implemented responsibly.

Parents deserve a voice in those decisions. The survey also found that 78% of parents say a school's approach to AI matters when considering where they want their child to be educated. Nearly half of parents worry that AI could make students too dependent on technology, while others point to concerns about cheating and weaker critical thinking skills. Those views aren't contradictory. They reflect what parents expect from schools: thoughtful decisions that put students first.

Education leaders are reaching many of the same conclusions. TeachAI, with a coalition of nonprofits and technology companies, released a toolkit for administrators, teachers, and governing bodies to highlight opportunities and mitigate risks when AI is used in K-12 schools. State guidance across the country echoes those priorities, encouraging schools to implement AI thoughtfully while engaging educators, parents, and communities throughout the process.

The urgency is real. Pew Research recently found that more than half of U.S. teenagers have already used AI chatbots to help with schoolwork. AI is already part of many students’ learning experience. The opportunity now is to teach students how to use these tools ethically, responsibly, and in ways that strengthen, not replace, learning. 

At a time when AI is becoming part of more classrooms, parents need clear, trustworthy information to make informed decisions. Resources like myschoolchoice.com/back-to-school offer free guides and practical advice to help families navigate the school year with confidence.

As AI becomes part of more classrooms, schools shouldn't lose sight of the question parents are already asking: Will this help my child learn? If the answer is yes, and parents are part of the conversation, AI has the potential to become another tool that helps teachers personalize learning and helps every student thrive.

Shelby Doyle is the senior vice president of policy and national partnerships at the National School Choice Awareness Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that maintains the nation’s largest online portfolio of English- and Spanish-language school navigation resources, available through Navigate School Choice and Conoce tus Opciones Escolares.

(NewsUSA) - Proposed rule changes at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) could weaken the research enterprise that underpins American technology leadership, according to experts at the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), a nonprofit, nonpartisan initiative that makes recommendations to strengthen America's long-term competitiveness in emerging technologies.

OMB has proposed the most sweeping revision in years to the regulations governing federal grants and research awards. SCSP has filed formal comments urging the agency to revise the rule before finalizing it.

Accountability for taxpayer dollars is not optional, and SCSP supports OMB's stated goals of transparency, research integrity, and stewardship, said Ylli Bajraktari, president of SCSP, in a recent article. Political accountability and scientific expertise are not enemies. But applied without clear limits, the rule risks damaging the innovation engine that has been the backbone of America's scientific success, he said.

The new regulations contain several concerning provisions, said Bajraktari. Specifically, "Senior political appointees would review every discretionary award, reviewers would be directed to weigh presidential policy priorities, peer review would be explicitly downgraded to 'advisory,' and agencies could terminate active research awards simply because priorities changed after the work began," he said.

The stakes are measurable, according to SCSP's 2026 Tech Competition Scorecard, which found that China holds a decisive overall lead in robotics for advanced manufacturing, and that the narrow U.S. lead in quantum is eroding under Beijing's coordinated, state-backed strategy. Meanwhile, the federally funded share of national research and development dropped by nearly one-third between 2010 and 2019, and federal AI research spending remains far below the $32 billion annual level recommended by the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. America already faces a funding gap, Bajraktari said, and should not compound it with a confidence gap.

The proposed changes take their cues from a termination-for-convenience model of government contracting, but research grants are different, Bajraktari emphasized. A research grant supports multiyear experiments, doctoral researchers, and laboratory partners using custom equipment and generating data over time. Stopping that work midstream destroys value that reimbursement cannot recover. The losses also reach companies, investors, national labs, and startups that make decisions based on whether federally funded research is stable and merit-driven.

"When award decisions look political rather than technical, or when a grant can vanish because priorities shifted, private partners hedge, talent looks elsewhere, and the whole geometry of innovation weakens," said Bajraktari.

SCSP's comments ask OMB to consider four points before finalizing any changes to how research grants are handled.

• Keep merit at the center. Scientific and technical merit, evaluated by qualified experts, should remain the primary basis for selecting research proposals. Senior appointees have a legitimate oversight role in compliance, security, and program fit, but should not substitute their judgment for expert evaluation of scientific quality, and any override should be documented in writing against published criteria.

• Make awards durable. Competitively awarded research grants should not be terminable simply because policy priorities changed after the fact. Reserve termination for legal violations, security concerns, or performance failures, and give recipients a chance to respond and to wind down responsibly.

• Account for the private sector. Before changing how research awards work, agencies should ask whether the change will deter co-investment, interrupt commercialization pathways, or push globally mobile talent toward America's competitors.

• Assess the competitive impact. OMB's own analysis counts only paperwork costs and calls them modest. Forgone discoveries and deterred capital are real national security costs even when they never appear as a line item, so major changes to federal research policy should come with a technology-competitiveness impact assessment.

SCSP also urged OMB to slow down. An October 1 effective date would impose new selection and termination frameworks on fiscal year 2027 awards before agencies have built the procedures to implement them well, Bajraktari said.

Visit scsp.ai to learn more.

(NewsUSA) - For individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, fitness can mean much more than getting stronger or improving endurance. The right approach to movement can help people develop confidence, establish healthier routines, build physical skills and work toward greater independence.

Traditional fitness programs, however, aren't always designed around the needs of people who learn, communicate or experience the world differently.

James Anderson, CSCS, founder of Better Everyday Athletics, believes effective inclusive fitness starts with one simple principle: meet people where they are.

Here are five principles behind Anderson's approach to inclusive and adaptive fitness:

1. Meet People Where They Are

Inclusive fitness starts with understanding the individual rather than expecting the individual to adapt to a conventional fitness program.

Anderson's approach begins with an initial consultation to understand a person's abilities, needs and starting point. From there, movements and exercises can be adapted and progressively developed around that individual.

As Anderson explains, fitness shouldn't be about forcing someone into a program that wasn't designed for them. Instead, the goal is to understand what motivates a person, what they're comfortable with and where they're starting, then use movement to help them make meaningful progress.

2. Move With Purpose

Movement can serve a purpose beyond physical exercise.

Anderson's philosophy grew from his experience working in both personal training and behavioral health. One early experience with a behavioral health client helped shape his understanding of how movement could play a larger role in everyday life.

The experience showed Anderson that purposeful movement could become part of a person's broader routine and support progress that extends beyond traditional fitness goals.

3. Build Better Habits

Inclusive fitness isn't about quick fixes or claiming that one program works for everyone.

For Anderson, sustainable progress can take many forms. Sometimes it means getting stronger. Other times, it can mean developing confidence, establishing a healthier routine, learning a new physical skill or becoming more independent in everyday activities.

Even small steps can matter.

And sometimes, the victory is simply discovering, "I can do this."

4. Strengthen the Whole Family

Anderson's philosophy is also rooted in his own experience.

Becoming a father added another dimension to his mission. During the exhausting early months of parenthood, Anderson found that maintaining his own physical fitness helped him better manage the stress and demands of caring for his daughter.

That experience strengthened his belief that healthy habits don't affect only one person. They can influence an entire family.

This idea became part of the foundation for his book, Legacy of Health: A Parent's Guide to Building Strength, Energy, and Longevity for the Next Generation, which encourages parents to think beyond short-term fitness goals and consider the example their own health habits can create for the next generation.

5. Create Lifelong Independence

For Anderson, inclusive fitness ultimately comes back to helping individuals recognize what they are capable of doing and build from there.

Families and organizations have shared examples of progress from Anderson's work. One parent said her daughter developed "confidence and empowerment" while working with Anderson. Another described how her son progressed from being unable to run a quarter mile without stopping to running a half mile nonstop and later regularly riding his bike to the store.

Julie McNeil, Day Program Director at FRIENDS of Broomfield, has also praised Anderson's patience and creativity, as well as his ability to understand individual needs and capabilities before challenging clients to achieve more.

The common thread is simple: progress doesn't have to look the same for everyone.

A More Individualized Approach to Fitness

The Better Every Day Method is built around five principles: meet people where they are, move with purpose, build better habits, strengthen the whole family and create lifelong independence.

Anderson is an NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), former Registered Behavior Technician (RBT), published author and founder of Better Everyday Athletics. His website states that he has more than 15 years of experience working with families, individuals with disabilities and care organizations.

His message to individuals, families and organizations is straightforward: start with the person, not the program. Understand where they are. Find movement with purpose. Build sustainable habits. Then keep working toward becoming a little better every day.

To learn more about James Anderson and Better Everyday Athletics, visit mybettereveryday.org.

To purchase Legacy of Health: A Parent's Guide to Building Strength, Energy, and Longevity for the Next Generation, visit Amazon.

Organizations interested in bringing James Anderson in for a keynote, workshop or presentation can visit mybettereveryday.org/speaking-engagements.

(NewsUSA) - Competition ran high at this year’s Illinois State Fair, where a new generation of livestock exhibitors gathered to demonstrate the skill and dedication that define Illinois agriculture. 

As the world’s leading derivatives marketplace, CME Group invests in the next generation of market participants, helping them learn to manage agribusiness risk throughout their careers. CME Group awarded $5,000 scholarships to each Grand Champion livestock exhibitor. Additionally, the company recognized each Illinois 4-H Skillathon champion with a $1,000 scholarship. Over the past decade, CME Group, which offers benchmark agriculture markets across grains, oilseeds and livestock, has contributed more than $500,000 to advance the education of young Illinois farmers and ranchers.

“The rising generation of agricultural producers represents the future of the industry, and it is a privilege to support these students as they build their skills and knowledge,” said John Ricci, Global Head of Agricultural Products at CME Group. “Agriculture is at the heart of what we do at CME Group, and we are committed to investing in those who will feed our communities for years to come.” 

The 2026 Grand Champion scholarship recipients were: Austin Ater (Champaign County), Brenna Dryer (Woodford County), Kashen Ellerbrock (Henry County), McKlay Gensini (County), Ike Heckman (Putnam County), Eva Lansaw (Morgan County), Payton McKittrick (Pike County), Ashley Wiegan (Woodford County) and Wyatt Zehr (Livingston County).

The 2026 Skillathon scholarship winners were: Macie Bartlow (McDonough County), Evan Beal (Clinton County), Will Deters (Cumberland County), Addison Duis (Menard County), Emersyn Harms (Woodford County), Claire Kuipers (McLean County), Caiden Littiken (Clinton County), Calum Shanks (Christian County) and Reagan Shike (Mercer County).  

(NewsUSA) - Across the Nation, millions of children are preparing to head back to school—filled with excitement, opportunity, and promise. But for far too many children, the year begins with a challenge: limited access to the books and educational resources that are essential to academic success.

That is the reality the Marine Toys for Tots Literacy Program is working to change through Operation Turn the Page—a nationwide back-to-school initiative built on a simple but powerful belief: Give a Book, Unlock a Future. 

The Toys for Tots Literacy Program has provided more than 63 million books and educational resources to underserved children since 2008, helping children strengthen literacy skills, stay engaged in learning, and discover the joy of reading.

Yet, the need to support literacy initiatives remains significant across the Nation, where low-income communities may have a single age-appropriate book available for every 300 children. Without access to books, many students struggle to develop the literacy skills needed for academic success, and summer learning loss can make the transition back to school even more difficult. 

That’s why Operation Turn the Page focuses on helping children in need stay connected to learning throughout the summer and return to the classroom ready to thrive.

“A single book may seem like a small gift, but for a child impacted by summer learning loss, it can open the door to possibilities they never knew existed,” says Lieutenant General Jim Laster, U.S. Marines (Retired), President and CEO of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. “When children living in low-income communities have access to books throughout the summer, they return to school more confident, engaged, and prepared to learn. When you give a book, you unlock a future.”

Operation Turn the Page’s impact begins long before the first school bell rings and is measured not only in books distributed, but in the moments that books create. Disadvantaged children across the country receive the resources they need to keep reading, learning, and growing as they prepare for a successful return to the classroom long before the first school bell rings.

“For many of our students, receiving these books means more than just reading—it’s the beginning of their first home library and a lifelong love of learning,” said a Freedom Trail Elementary teacher after a book distribution event.

At United Elementary, more than 400 books found their new homes with students, creating excitement that extended beyond the classroom. “With over 400 new books in the hands of our students, we’re seeing excitement, pride, and a growing love of reading both in school and at home,” staff shared.

At Entheos Academy, “One student’s face lit up with pure wonder when she found a book about baseball—proof that the right book can spark a lifelong love of reading,” a teacher exclaimed.

These stories illustrate Operation Turn the Page’s mission: ensuring access to books for disadvantaged children over the summer so they can enter the classroom with confidence and a stronger foundation for success.

As children prepare to return to school, supporters have the power to help write the next chapter of their success story. A single book can inspire a love of reading, strengthen literacy skills, and help a child start the school year ready to learn. By supporting Operation Turn the Page, donors are doing more than giving a book—they are helping disadvantaged children turn the page on summer learning loss and toward academic success and a brighter future.

Because when supporters Give a Book, they Unlock a Future.

To learn more or donate, visit: https://www.toysfortots.org/programs/

(BookTrib) - “Palm Beach Confidential” by Susannah Marren

In the latest entry in her Palm Beach novel series, Susannah Marren returns to the glittering, watchful world of Palm Beach, where appearances matter, and family secrets have a way of surfacing at the worst possible time. Lucinda Barrows has spent decades building a dazzling life of wealth, status and social influence, but her carefully controlled world begins to crack when mysterious letters arrive from Kesgrave, the Florida Panhandle town she thought she had left behind.

Her three daughters are already caught in their own storms: Maribelle is estranged from Raleigh after a devastating betrayal, Caroline is trying to hold the family business together, and Raleigh is facing a brutal divorce while being drawn into a risky new romance. Part family drama, part slow-burn mystery, “Palm Beach Confidential” explores what women hide, what they protect and what it costs to keep a polished life intact.

Purchase at https://tinyurl.com/palm-beach-confidential. 

“Son of Hades” by Caleb Lewis

Alexandros Nyktos is grieving, furious and very dangerous. After his undercover detective wife is murdered by the Moretti Mafia, Alex — the demigod son of Hades — tears through the criminal empire seeking revenge. But when he reaches mob boss Victor Moretti, someone has beaten him to the kill.

The twist? Moretti was actually Dionysus, the ancient Greek god of wine, and someone has discovered how to murder immortals.

Now Alex is both suspect and reluctant guide for FBI Special Agent Morgan Hale, whose investigation pulls her into a hidden America populated by gods, vampires, demons and other legendary beings living behind modern identities. When another god turns up dead, the uneasy partners must uncover what connects the victims before the killer strikes again.

Blending urban fantasy, police procedural and slow-burn romance, “Son of Hades” brings ancient rivalries and divine grudges into a dark, dangerous modern underworld.

Purchase at https://a.co/d/00T5kpWj.

“In Search of the Optimal Human Diet: A Layperson's Guide to Nutritional Science” by Jonathan Spitz

In a world of competing diet plans, contradictory headlines and nutritional quick fixes, Jonathan Spitz goes back to a more fundamental question: What does the science actually tell us?

“In Search of the Optimal Human Diet” traces more than two centuries of nutritional research, from an eighteenth-century experiment on scurvy through the discovery of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals to today’s understanding of metabolism, fiber and the gut microbiome. Along the way, Spitz brings the history to life through the scientists, experiments and occasional wrong turns that shaped what we know about food and health.

The evidence ultimately leads Spitz to advocate a whole-food, plant-based diet, with Dr. Michael Greger’s “Daily Dozen” providing a practical food guide. Extensively documented and supplemented with nine appendices, the book is both an accessible scientific history and a useful reference for readers who want to make evidence-based dietary choices rather than follow trends.

Purchase at https://man-eating-plants.com/.  

“When Waiting Becomes Life” by Jeff Deaton, MD 

“When Waiting Becomes Life” gently illuminates the often-unseen emotional landscape of infertility — a journey many walk in silence. Drawing on heartfelt, real-life stories from women and couples who have faced failed cycles, loss and years of uncertainty, Dr. Jeff Deaton blends compassionate medical insight with deeply human narrative. Each chapter offers not only the raw honesty of lived experience but also practical, encouraging advice that helps readers process grief, confront shame and navigate complex treatment decisions with greater clarity and confidence.

Readers praise the book for its warmth and wisdom, noting how Deaton’s balanced mix of hope, science and empathy makes even the most difficult moments feel shared rather than endured alone. Whether you’re living the struggle or supporting someone who is, this book offers solace, strength and a reminder: waiting isn’t the whole story — growth and resilience can be part of the journey too.

Purchase at https://tinyurl.com/when-waiting-becomes-life.

(Erika Braaksma ) - While World Lung Cancer Day was recognized on August 1, the urgent need to raise global awareness for those affected by the disease and to accelerate the search for a cure remains year-round. With this ongoing mission in mind, Lung Cancer Foundation of America (LCFA) and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) are observing the month by awarding $200,000 to two of the field's most promising young scientists. This investment addresses a critical reality in oncology: too often, brilliant research ideas stall not because they lack vision, but because they lack resources. By providing this funding, LCFA and IASLC are ensuring these researchers have the momentum they need to turn today’s innovative ideas into tomorrow’s life-saving breakthroughs.

The two funded projects take aim at two of the toughest questions in the fight against the disease: how to catch lung cancer earlier, and how to stop it from outsmarting the very treatments designed to beat it. Both are essential to the same goal, helping patients live longer, better lives.

The Early Career Researcher (ECR) grant program gives emerging scientists the fuel they need to secure a major independent research award, which can be a launching pad for a career. These researchers aren't just studying the future of lung cancer science; they're building it.

This year's recipients, selected for the originality of their proposals and their potential to change patient outcomes, are Dr. Jared Mayers of Fred Hutch Cancer Center and Dr. Jaime L. Schneider of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

The timing could not be more urgent. Competition for research dollars grows fiercer every year, even as lung cancer claims a life in the United States every 4.2 minutes. When bold, early career investigators are handed real, independent funding, their most innovative ideas don't stall on a shelf. They move forward, and they change what's possible in oncology.

"Supporting early-career investigators is not just a strategic priority. It is a necessity for the future of oncology," said Kim Norris, co-founder and president of LCFA. "By investing in these researchers, we are accelerating the pace of discovery and ensuring that promising ideas in metabolic tracking and drug resistance can move from the laboratory to the clinic, where they are needed most."

Dr. Jared Mayers, Fred Hutch Cancer Center: Hunting the hidden influencers inside the lung. Dr. Mayers is investigating how the naturally occurring bacteria living in our lungs may quietly shape the development of lung cancer. Because these bacteria exist in such tiny amounts, they've long been nearly impossible to study. So Dr. Mayers is building the tools to see them by developing highly sensitive new techniques to capture and analyze how these microbes behave inside lung tissue. By mapping how they contribute to cancer, his team hopes to uncover entirely new ways to stop the disease before it ever starts. 

Dr. Mayers says his inspiration is simple: "We don't get new drugs, we don't get new therapies, we don't get longer lives, better quality lives, more time with family unless we invest in the upfront groundwork.”

Dr. Jaime L. Schneider, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute: Cutting off cancer's escape route. Dr. Schneider is decoding how lung cancer cells learn to survive and keep growing even after treatment. Her focus: how these cells manage their energy and where that system has a weak link worth exploiting. Her goal is to design new, more effective therapies that keep cancer from adapting, offering better and longer-lasting options for patients whose disease has grown resistant to standard chemotherapy and targeted treatments.

 "I was simply blown away by the tremendous arsenal of new drugs that had just come out that were really changing patient lives," said Dr. Schneider, describing what drew her to thoracic oncology.

LCFA and IASLC invite the community to go behind the science with all of the LCFA/IASLC ECR grant recipients. Visit these researchers’ profiles and video insights into their lab work at LCFA’s Meet the Researcher.

LCFA’s Early Career Research Grant Program is known for a remarkable "multiplier effect" currently at 13X return on investment. By providing the first spark for transformative science, the program has awarded 25 grants totaling $4.6 million, funding that has since grown into more than $50 million in additional grants from other organizations building on LCFA-supported research. That track record means Dr. Mayers and Dr. Schneider aren't just receiving funding, they're gaining the foundation to secure the major, long-term support their life-saving work deserves.

This $400,000 investment underscores LCFA and IASLC’s ongoing commitment to accelerating the pace of discovery for patients everywhere. For more resources and information about lung cancer, visit lcfamerica.org.

(NewsUSA) - Your back-to-school checklist is already long. That chip in your windshield shouldn’t stay on it.

Back-to-school season means busy mornings, packed schedules, school drop-offs, after-school activities and plenty of time on the road. With attention focused on getting everyone where they need to be, it’s easy to put off something that seems minor, like that small chip in your windshield.

But windshield damage doesn’t wait for your schedule to slow down.

Not all windshield damage is the same. A small white dot on the glass and a long line running across your field of view are both problems, but they call for very different responses. The type of damage, where it sits on the glass, and how long it has been there all determine whether a technician can fix it in about 30 minutes or whether the entire windshield needs replacing.

You hear the unmistakable ping of a rock hitting your windshield. You look around, spot a tiny mark in the glass and think, That doesn’t look so bad. And sometimes, it isn’t …yet.

A chip is damage centered around a single impact point. Something struck the glass hard enough to break away a small piece of the outer layer, but the damage hasn’t started traveling. The good news? Chips caught early are the best candidates for repair, making that little mark worth addressing before it becomes something bigger.

A crack is a line of separation that extends away from the impact point, or that appears on its own from stress. Cracks can be short and stable or long and fast moving, depending on location, temperature swings, road vibration and moisture.

 And if you’ve ever wondered why windshield damage seems to come in so many different shapes, there’s actually a name for many of them. A bullseye creates a circular pattern around the impact point, much like a dartboard. A star break sends small cracks radiating outward, while a combination break includes characteristics of both. You may also spot a half-moon, which forms a partial circle, or a pit, a small surface nick without a larger pattern around it.

Cracks vary too. Stress cracks appear without any impact at all, often triggered by sudden temperature change, such as a frozen windshield blasted with hot defroster air. Edge begin near the perimeter of the windshield and tend to spread quickly, while floating cracks sit farther into the glass and grow outward from an original point of damage.

Why Size Isn’t the Whole Story

Here’s the tricky thing about windshield damage: small doesn’t always mean harmless. A tiny chip may look like no big deal, but road vibration, moisture and temperature changes can quickly give it room to grow. And where the damage sits matters just as much as its size. A chip or crack in the driver’s line of sight can affect visibility, while damage near the edge tends to spread faster. Even damage near windshield-mounted cameras deserves attention, since many newer vehicles rely on those cameras for features like lane departure warnings, forward collision alerts and adaptive cruise control. Bottom line? That little chip may be trying to tell you more than you think.

The Best Time to Fix It? Before It Gets Worse.

Here’s the good news: if caught early, many windshield chips can be repaired in as little as 30 minutes. Side and rear window damage is a different story, those always require replacement. Either way, getting the damage checked sooner rather than later is your best move.

Because one thing windshield damage rarely does is fix itself. That little chip you’ve been ignoring? It has bigger ambitions. Potholes, car washes, road vibration and temperature changes can turn a small, repairable chip into a crack that requires a full windshield replacement.

Not sure whether your windshield needs a repair or replacement? Auto Glass Now offers free damage inspections and an honest recommendation, with no-fee mobile service available at most locations, making it one less thing to juggle during an already busy back-to-school season.

Get a free windshield quote online or call 1-888-4-FIX-GLASS.

(NewsUSA) - Gaming has transformed over the past three decades. In 1999, fewer than one in five players reported playing online, according to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), and today, nearly 90 percent do. As gaming has become increasingly social, it has evolved into a digital third place where people come together to play, connect, and build community.

The ESA also found that 67 percent of Americans ages 5 to 90 play video games at least an hour a week, and across the country, friendships and relationships that begin over a game controller are increasingly spilling off the screen and into people's lives. Discord has become the digital living room where those friendships actually live and grow — where players text, talk, and video chat, both during games and in the stretches between them. Discord broadens the cultural role of “digital third places” beyond a single game to a space where all your gaming friends play.

Discord, which is free to join, is different from other platforms — there are no algorithmic feeds, no broadcasting of your life, and no endless scrolling. People connect through 1:1 Direct Messages, Group Direct Messages, and Servers, which are invite-based communities organized around a game, a friend group, or a shared interest. Activity happens in small, private spaces among friends, where high-quality streaming and voice chat across devices let people hang out together as naturally as if they were in the same room. Discord now counts more than 90 million daily active users worldwide, and gaming remains the center of gravity: 89% of Discord users play games. 

Gene Ludington from Pennsylvania has gamed with the same group of friends for more than 20 years. The tools have changed, but the group hasn't. “We can voice chat, video chat, text, share memes, videos, pics, and gifs, or stream what we're most excited about,” he said. For his circle, Discord has “become the communication glue that holds us all together.”

That glue is critical for maintaining friendships across distances. And nobody understands this better than veterans. Stack Up, a nonprofit founded in 2015 to support military veterans through gaming, has built its community on Discord — with weekly game nights, town halls, and a peer support channel staffed around the clock by trained volunteers. Because the community spans time zones, someone is always available to connect.

Video games offer a shared activity and a low-pressure reason to keep showing up, similar to a Saturday softball league or a weekly pickup game. According to research by CivicScience, adults who play team sports report better social and mental health outcomes than those who play individually, and similarly, a recent study from researchers at Imperial College London found that gamers feel less alone than non-gamers.

It’s no wonder that gaming has grown to look so much like traditional athletics. When the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) formed in 2016, only seven colleges and universities had varsity esports programs. Today, NACE supports 300 programs across the country, helping students compete, earn scholarships, and build lifelong friendships with teammates and the broader esports community.

The bonds created through gaming often transcend the game itself. When Faith Hobart from Kansas City, Kansas got married last January, many of the guests in the room were people the couple had first met through a video game.

Hobart and her husband connected on January 1st, 2021, and added each other on Discord. It was there that they spent hours talking about their futures, playing together, and ultimately falling in love. Four years to the day later, they married, and many of the people in the online community they'd built were there in person. “They saw our relationship grow from friends, to developing crushes, to dating, getting engaged, and finally getting married,” she said.

The guests weren’t there because of a game. They were there because conversations that started on Discord became a community, then friendships, then — for the Hobarts — a marriage.

Getting started is easy. Discord is free to download on phones, consoles, or desktops, and setting up an account only takes a few minutes. From there, you can connect with your friends that you already game with, or join an existing Server built around the games and interests you love. Joining a Server takes just one click — no matter if it's a link a friend sends you, or one you find by browsing Discord's directory of communities. Whether you’re looking to reconnect with your longtime crew or make your first gaming friend, the front door to your digital third space is open. 

(NewsUSA) - Modern conflict goes beyond troops and physical weapons. Warfare tactics now include cyber attacks, disinformation campaigns, election interference, and economic coercion.

Dr. Teija Tiilikainen, director of the European Center of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (Hybrid CoE), outlined hybrid security threats in an interview on NatSec Tech, a podcast produced by the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP) covering emerging technology and national security.

Hybrid CoE defines hybrid threats as "a mixture of different tools used against democracies, against the democratic principle, against democratic practices in our societies to undermine trust in government," Tiilikainen said — tools used by authoritarian regimes to shore up their own power. What sets them apart: "The whole logic of these threats is to surprise us unprepared." The toolkit spans cyber and information operations, election interference, instrumentalized migration, and attacks on critical infrastructure from energy grids to data cables.

Artificial intelligence has raised the stakes. AI "is a huge tool to affect the so-called cognitive sphere, our understanding of reality," Tiilikainen said. When threat actors deploy it ahead of elections or on social media, "we don't know with whom we are communicating." Increasingly, "we don't necessarily recognize the real actors from AI produced actors." AI may eventually help defenders, she noted, but for now attackers hold the advantage.

Tiilikainen singled out the information space. In the Russian war against Ukraine, "How do we see the war, who is the victim, who is the responsible actor? This tends to vary not only in Europe, but also outside Europe, very much due to efficient and successful Russian disinformation campaigns." Information is "a very dangerous tool in the hands of hybrid threat actors," she said, amplifying every other tool they use.

Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea are the principal state actors, she said, often working through proxies: criminals, hackers, extremists, and unwitting citizens. Attribution is "very, very difficult," and "this is one of the assets that the threat actors are using."

Countering them "all starts with our broad societal resilience," Tiilikainen said. More proactive measures include international sanctions and publicly calling out responsible states. "China, for instance, is still quite keen on maintaining its reputation as a responsible international actor," she said.

Education matters too. Tiilikainen pointed to the Nordic and Baltic states, where an informed public helps small countries defend themselves, and to Ukraine and Taiwan, which have used transparency to expose and correct disinformation. The private sector must also engage, since much critical infrastructure is privately owned.

Hybrid threats are dangerous because they are hard to see, and they test vulnerabilities with larger conflict in mind. "We have the old saying that this is about preparing the battlefield," she said. "From that point of view the threat to democracies can be very existential."

Progress has been made — "I see resilience being strengthened" — but more is needed to prepare for "the malign use of modern technologies." Failure to do so, she warned, would "weaken the credibility of the democratic principles."

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