Author: TECH

Many people search for happiness in big achievements, but it often comes from simple, everyday moments.Learning how to focus on what matters most can help improve your quality of life.What Is Happiness?Everyday terms: Happiness is feeling joyful, content or satisfied with life. It includes small pleasures as well as a deeper sense of meaning and fulfillment.Psychological perspective: Psychologists define happiness as subjective well-being — a combination of positive emotions, life satisfaction and a sense of purpose. It isn’t a constant state, but reflects how people generally evaluate and experience their lives over time.Feeling happy has real health benefits: it can…

Quick Read Half of retirees claim Social Security before full retirement age, while only 4% wait until 70 for the largest possible monthly check. Claiming at 62 cuts monthly benefits by up to 30%, while delaying past full retirement age to 70 boosts checks by 8% annually. With savings rates at 2.8% and consumer sentiment near recessionary lows, most retirees cannot afford to delay claiming regardless of the math. Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted,…

The maximum Social Security tax an employee can contribute in 2026 is $11,439, although only workers earning at least $184,500 will reach that limit.The Social Security taxable wage base increased from $176,100 in 2025 to $184,500 in 2026. Earnings up to that threshold are subject to the 6.2 percent Social Security payroll tax, while wages above it aren’t.Donald Trump taps on Lindsey Graham’s casket during his funeralAn employer must contribute an equal amount on behalf of the worker. That means an employee earning at least $184,500 can have a maximum of $11,439 withheld, with the employer paying another $11,439.Together, the…

The Nickel Rim Mine in Ontario, the only other Western source for Nickel – credit, P199 via Wikimedia, CC 3.0. On July 31st, mine developer Canada Nickel Company announced it had received final permitting approval from the Ontario government for its gargantuan nickel mining/carbon capture project The approval is the first issued under Canada’s amended Impact Assessment Act, a reform of extractive industry regulations designed to allow the highest-quality projects to be permitted fast. Financing for the project will come in part through the sale of carbon credits, as Canada Nickel develop what is now a proprietary carbon storage method…

Okefenokee terrain – credit, public domain, via UNESCO Georgia’s Okefenokee Swamp is the latest wild wonder of the USA to make UNESCO’s hallowed World Heritage Site list. It joins the Grand Canyon, Sequoia, Everglades, and Yellowstone national Parks on the same list, and reflects the stunning biodiversity of American “blackwater” swamps. Most of the Okefenokee Swamp is included in the 403,000-acre (163,000 hectare) Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, the most-visited NWR east of the Mississippi. Conservation in the swamp dates all the way back to 1918, by which time 1 million cubic meters of timber had already been logged. The federal…

Even today, Social Security remains a crucial aspect of American life. With rising inflation, Social Security and Supplemental Security Income recipients will receive an official cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to counter increasing expenses by 2027. It is expected that the increase in COLA will be announced in mid-October and calculated based on average inflation in the economy, per Fox 4 News. The Senior Citizens League (TSCL), a nonprofit working for senior citizens, has predicted a 3.8% increase in the cost-of-living adjustment for 2027. It also estimated the projected rise in average monthly benefits to about $73.62. However, the executive director of TSCL…

A new album made from the echolocation calls of bats is inviting listeners to hear one of the UK’s most misunderstood mammals differently Echo in the Dark, by artists Hanna Tuulikki and Tommy Perman, transforms the ultrasonic calls of eight bat species into electronic music, blending translated bat recordings with the human voice. Normally beyond the range of human hearing, the calls have been made audible using heterodyne bat detectors, revealing clicks, buzzes and rhythms that can sound surprisingly close to electronic music. The project began in 2022, when Hospitalfield, an arts venue in Arbroath, Scotland, commissioned Tuulikki to make…

You’re in your twenties or early thirties, and suddenly everything feels uncertain. Your career path seems unclear, your relationships feel complicated, and you’re not sure who you’re supposed to be. A quarter-life crisis is a period of intense uncertainty and self-doubt that many young adults experience as they transition from college life to full adulthood, often triggered by pressure to make major life decisions about career, relationships, and identity. This period of confusion is more common than you might think. A quarter-life crisis is a normal experience that happens when the shift from childhood to adulthood feels overwhelming. You might…

Quick ReadState pensions depend on local funding health, with some plans below 60% funded, while Social Security applies one national benefit formula regardless of state.Social Security faces its own risk: trust fund reserves are projected to deplete by 2032, leaving payroll taxes to cover only about 78% of scheduled benefits.Linda should examine her pension’s funded ratio trend, contribution history, assumed investment returns, and COLA terms before deciding how to deploy her 403(b) as a cushion.Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each…

SHEBOYGAN – Mental Health America Lakeshore will bring community members together for its 21st annual There Is HOPE Walk for Suicide Awareness on Sept. 19 at Deland Park in Sheboygan, an event focused on remembrance, support and suicide prevention.The walk is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to noon and is supported by lead sponsor Acuity, according to a community announcement. Organizers say hundreds of participants gather each September to honor people lost to suicide, support survivors and promote conversations about mental health.“There Is HOPE has become such a powerful event for our community members impacted by suicide,” said Julie Preder, executive…