Author: TECH

Each year, the Social Security Administration reevaluates its monthly payment amounts and adjusts them to account for inflation. This annual change is called the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA.If you’re a retiree on a fixed income who is trying to stretch your retirement dollars further, the annual COLA can have major consequences for your bottom line.Here’s everything you need to know, from what the COLA is, how high 2026’s increase is, and much more.Find Out: 14 benefits seniors are entitled to but often forget to claim1. What is the COLA?Starting in the 1970s, the Social Security Administration (SSA) decided…

February 2026 Social Security payments: Over 71 million Americans are tracking Social Security payments this week. On Wednesday, February 11, 2026, the first major wave of mid-month deposits will hit bank accounts. This specific payout is for retirees, SSDI recipients, and survivors born between the 1st and 10th of any month.The 2026 schedule relies strictly on your birth date and benefit start year. If your birthday falls between the 11th and 20th, your payment arrives next week on February 18. Those born between the 21st and 31st must wait until February 25. Note that anyone who started receiving benefits before…

                                Williamsport, PA (WorkersCompensation.com) – A restaurant cook took his life on the job late last month by placing his head into a deep fryer, police said. According to Pennsylvania State Police, the man, a cook at a Williamsport, Pa., Olive Garden, said police and emergency workers were called to the restaurant around 4 p.m. on Jan. 30 concerning an employee removing his clothes and attempting to harm himself. In 911 audio from the Lycoming County Fire and EMS service, a dispatcher said, “I don’t…

In late 2025, Interpol coordinated a global operation across 134 nations, seizing roughly 30,000 live animals, confiscating illegal plant and timber products, and identifying about 1,100 suspected wildlife traffickers for national police to investigate.Wildlife trafficking is one of the most lucrative illicit industries worldwide. It nets between US$7 billion and $23 billion per year, according to the Global Environment Facility, a group of nearly 200 nations, as well as businesses and nonprofits that fund environmental improvement and protection projects.People buy and sell a wide range of items, including live animals, plant powders and oils, ivory carvings, and musical instruments.Historically, enforcement…

A new suicide prevention training programme for farmers has been launched to address suicide rates in agriculture across the UK. The initiative, led by the Farm Safety Foundation, also known as Yellow Wellies, is supported by The Royal Foundation. It has been developed in partnership with Baton of Hope through the National Suicide Prevention Network. See also: Sheep farmer shares breast cancer survival story Launched during the ninth Mind Your Head week – Yellow Wellies’ annual mental health campaign – the e-learning module “Suicide Awareness & Prevention” has been designed specifically for farming audiences and is described as “the first…

Financial pressure has pushed some young people into mental health crises. Illustration photo: Freepik. Ms. N.H.M., 31, living in Tan Son Hoa Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, was assigned to lead an important project that had to be completed before the Tet holiday. In the final months of the year, her workload surged, deadlines tightened, and the pressure of preparing financially to return to northern Vietnam for Tet with her family left her in a constant state of tension and anxiety. She developed a range of symptoms, including insomnia, headaches, rapid heartbeat, chest tightness, poor appetite and weight loss. Believing…

Key Takeaways U.S. citizens can generally receive survivor benefits abroad. The rules depend on citizenship, country of residence and benefit type. Non‑citizen spouses can still qualify, but need to pay close attention to their residency history and the rules of their country of origin. The number of people receiving Social Security benefits overseas, now more than 711,000 people, has more than doubled in the last two decades. About one in seven of them are receiving survivor benefits. Your spouse can still receive those payments after you’re gone, even from abroad. The rules depend on citizenship, country of residence and benefit…

The faces of CTV London participate in the CMHA push-up challenge to raise awareness for mental health and reduce the stigma of asking for help.

The most effective exercises for tackling symptoms of depression and anxiety include running, swimming and dancing, a new study suggests.Group workouts may offer even greater benefits for those with depression, especially young adults and new mothers.Researchers, whose findings were published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, are urging mental health professionals to “prescribe exercise with the same confidence as traditional treatments”.The review, conducted by Australian experts, analysed 63 studies and concluded that aerobic exercises had the “most substantial impact” on both conditions.Group workouts were linked to a greater reduction in depression, with people aged 18 to 30 and postnatal…

                                Case File A construction contractor’s lack of control over a law enforcement officer’s work directing traffic around a project meant that it was not the officer’s joint employer for workers’ compensation purposes. Simply Research subscribers have access to compliance knowledge from around the states, including North Carolina. Case Lassiter v. Robeson County Sheriff’s Department, No. 54PA24 (N.C. 12/12/25) What Happened? A law enforcement officer for a North Carolina county sheriff’s department earned additional income by accepting approved off-duty employment opportunities. One of these opportunities…