Community Remembrance Project
True me.. Tap-2334..
December 5, 2025
The desire to feel authentic is the yearning for your external life to be an echo of your internal values. When you value connection, you naturally prioritize face-to-face moments over screen time. If freedom is key, you structure your work to allow for spontaneous exploration. Any disconnect creates a dull ache. To live a defined […]
True me.. Tap-2334..
Investigators Think They’ve Solved the Mystery of the Baltimore Bridge Crash
December 4, 2025
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A tiny, misplaced label on the ship that hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in 2024 may have caused the catastrophic crash that killed six people, U.S. officials revealed on Tuesday.
The Dali hit the bridge after a series of electrical blackouts and system failures that led to loss of propulsion and steering control in the early hours of March 26, 2024. The strike caused the structure to collapse into the water below.
Investigators at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have reported that a small label wrapped around a critical wire that was plugged into one of the many terminal boxes on the cargo ship had, over the course of years, caused the wire to come loose, tripping a breaker and causing the initial power outage on the ship.
“This tragedy should have never occurred,” said Jennifer Homendy, chair of the NTSB, said at a board meeting on Tuesday, according to the New York Times.
The report also found that the Dali’s crew had responded appropriately to the emergency. Because of the ship’s size and uncontrollable drifting, however, the crew’s actions to try to prevent the crash were ultimately futile.
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Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
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Suspicious Link in Your Inbox? Here’s How to Tell If It’s a Scam
December 4, 2025
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‘Tis the season to be wary. You can blame a glitch in the North Pole’s AI or a stocking full of data breaches, but this holiday season, our inboxes are getting stuffed with more phishing emails and texts more often than ever before. Scammers are getting smarter, too. Not only are they crafting more suspicious links, but they’re making their schemes harder to call out than ever. Putting a stop to these digital Grinches is a full-time job all its own. According to the the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, phishing and spoofing scams stole more than $70 million in holiday joy (and funds) in 2024.
Unfortunately, these criminals are good at what they do. Several scammy links do actually include standard “https” encryption and domains similar to legitimate websites in order to trick everyday people.
If you unwrap a scam link, you risk more than just a lump of coal. You could suffer major financial loss, hand over your credit card details to a “Secret Santa” you definitely don’t know, or accidentally download malware that freezes your device faster than a winter storm. Here’s how you can freeze scammers in their tracks this holiday season and protect yourself.
How to identify scam links
Scam links are regularly found in phishing emails, text messages or other communications sent by cybercriminals. They’re designed to fool you into downloading malware or bringing you to a fake website to steal your personal identifying information. Some examples of popular phishing scams include unpaid toll, gold bar, and employment scams.
Criminals typically send these links out en masse — often aided by artificial intelligence. Enough people fall victim to phishing scams every year that con artists find it worth their while to follow the same playbook.
Here’s how to avoid taking the bait.
Check the URL
“Smartphones do their best to block scam links, so attackers use tricks to make their links clickable,” said Joshua McKenty, CEO of Polyguard.ai, a cybersecurity company that helps businesses protect mobile phones and call centers from AI-driven phishing scams.
For example, you’ll want to watch for an “@” sign in the URL, or you might have two different URLs “glued together” by a question mark, he added. Especially if the first URL is a Google.com or an Apple.com link.
Dave Meister, a cybersecurity spokesman for global cybersecurity company Check Point, added that you may be able to hover over the URL to reveal the actual destination. People should also look out for “typo-squatting,” when the URL looks authentic, but it has “PayPa1” instead of “PayPal.” That should tip you off that it’s a bad link.
Remember the URLs you frequently visit
It would behoove everyone to pay attention to the URLs they visit often.
“Major brands, especially banks and retailers, don’t often change up their domain names,” McKenty said. “If the link says Chase.com, it’s likely safe. If it says, Chase-Banking-App.com, stay away.”
Be suspicious of short links
Short links are often in texts and on social media. “Sadly, there’s no safe way to check a shortened URL,” McKenty said. He recommended not clicking on them.
“Bit.ly” or “shorturl” links often have standard “https://” encryption, which makes them appear trustworthy. In these cases, it’s best to read the message itself and pay attention to any threatening language or pressure to act immediately to identify the scam.
How are scam links sent to victims?
Text scams
Ironically, these don’t always rely on website links. In fact, phone numbers are a frequent vehicle used in scammers’ phishing attempts, according to McKenty.
“People get tricked into clicking a phone number that’s not actually their bank or the IRS, and then surrendering identity information on the phone,” he said.
If you think you got a message from a scammer, as tempting as it is to mess with them, do your best to resist. If you interact with the scammer, they may want to circle back, knowing that you’re reachable.
Email scams
Emails can also have scam links.
McKenty said that while clicking on phone numbers and links in texts is happening more frequently, “the biggest dollar losses are still the classic email scams.”
He suggests copying any link you see into a notes app so that you can properly inspect it before clicking.
QR code scams
Sometimes, scams can even be embedded into a QR code.
“QR codes have become the new stealth weapon, used everywhere from restaurant menus to parking meters,” said Meister.
“Scammers are known to slap fake codes on top of real ones in public, or embed them in phishing emails, linking to cloned websites or malware downloads,” he said.
Before you scan, make sure the QR code makes sense. If it’s on the side of a gas pump, on a random park bench or in an unrecognized email, it’s better to avoid it.
Social media direct messages
Chances are, you’ve run into these scam links. Sometimes social media accounts get compromised by cybercriminals posing as people you know.
If your “uncle” sends you a direct message while sounding like a pushy timeshare salesman, telling you to check out this investment opportunity by clicking on a link, call your uncle first.
What if I already clicked a link?
If you clicked on a scam link, a number of things could happen. If you have software protecting your device, the firewall probably blocked it. If you don’t have software protecting you from computer viruses and malware, then you might have a problem.
Try these tips if you think you might’ve clicked on a phishing link:
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Get anti-virus software.
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If you don’t already have anti-virus software that can help rid your laptop or desktop of viruses, you should get one. There are plenty of free and paid options to choose from
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Be aware of malware. Your phone isn’t immune to malware. Scam links are often designed to trick somebody into downloading malware, which can then give the scammer access to your phone. If your phone is infected with malware, do not access any financial apps. Instead, clear your browser cache, remove any apps you don’t recognize, or try a factory reset. If you’re really stuck, you could also call your phone’s tech support. Your phone might be slow or unresponsive, and you may see increased pop-up ads if it’s infected.
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Contact your bank or credit card issuer.
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If you’ve been visiting your bank website or app on a compromised device, to be safe, let your financial institution know.
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Contact the authorities. If you clicked on a spam link and were scammed out of money, report it to the Federal Trade Commission so they can spread the word about the scam. You’ll also want to call your police department and anyone else you can think of. The more people are aware of a scam, the less likely they’ll fall for it.
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You should never be clicking unexpected links sent to you via text.
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Trump Administration Live Updates: Grand Jury Declines to Reindict James
December 4, 2025
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Where Things Stand
James indictment: A grand jury declined to reindict Letitia James, New York’s attorney general, rejecting efforts to revive a criminal case that had been sought by President Trump, according to people familiar with the matter. The unsuccessful attempt to revive the case against Ms. James does not necessarily end the administration’s efforts to put her on trial. Read more ›
Boat attack video: Top military officers showed senior members of Congress video of a Sept. 2 attack on a boat suspected of carrying drugs, and defended the follow-up strike that killed two survivors. Lawmakers left the closed-door meetings with starkly different conclusions: Democrats said the video deepened their concerns about the legality of the Trump administration’s military campaign, while several Republicans said they were satisfied it was lawful. Read more ›
Pipe bomb inquiry: A Virginia man was charged with placing two pipe bombs outside the headquarters of both Democratic and Republican headquarters buildings on the night before the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Kash Patel, the F.B.I. director, did not offer a motive, and falsely accused the Biden administration of allowing the investigation to languish. Read more ›
Trump switches architects for his White House ballroom project.
President Trump has hired a new architecture firm to oversee the design of his new ballroom, the White House said on Thursday, a move that comes after he had multiple disagreements with his original designer.
The president chose Shalom Baranes Associates, a Washington, D.C.-based firm that has designed other government buildings, to oversee the next phase of the project, a White House spokesman, Davis R. Ingle, said in a statement. He added that the firm would join “a team of experts to carry out President Trump’s vision on building what will be the greatest addition to the White House since the Oval Office.”
Tim Walz calls Trump’s tirade against Somalis in Minnesota ‘vile.’
Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota on Thursday called President Trump’s recent tirades against Somalis in the state “vile,” warning that xenophobic rhetoric could lead to bloodshed.
“This creates danger,” Mr. Walz, a Democrat, told reporters during a news conference. “We know how these things go, they start with taunts, they turn to violence.”
The Trump administration cuts the length of work permits for asylum seekers and refugees.
The Trump administration said it would reduce how long work permits are valid for refugees and asylum seekers, intensifying a sweeping crackdown on legal immigration after an Afghan national was charged with the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington.
The federal government will now require some migrants to renew their work permits every 18 months instead of every five years, according to a statement from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on Thursday. The agency said the change would help it screen and vet migrants more often, allowing it to identify people with “potentially harmful intent so they can be processed for removal.”
The Supreme Court clears the way for Republican-friendly Texas voting maps.
The Supreme Court cleared the way on Thursday for Texas lawmakers to use newly redrawn congressional maps favoring Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections.
The decision overturns, at least for now, a lower-court ruling that the new maps were likely an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. That decision had blocked lawmakers from using the maps in the midterms.
Grand jury is said to decline to re-indict Letitia James, New York State’s attorney general.
A grand jury in Norfolk, Va., declined on Thursday to re-indict Letitia James, New York’s attorney general, rejecting efforts to revive a criminal case that had been sought by President Trump, according to people familiar with the matter.
The unsuccessful attempt to revive the case against Ms. James does not necessarily end the administration’s efforts to put her on trial, even after a federal judge dismissed an earlier indictment last month in ruling that the prosecutor who brought the case was unlawfully appointed by Mr. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi.
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Letitia James, the New York attorney general, outside a courthouse in Norfolk, Va., in October.Credit…Allison Robbert for The New York Times
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The Science That Could Change How You Think about Protein
December 3, 2025
Business, Human Interest, Political, Science, Technical amazon, business, Business News, current-events, Future, Hotels, human-rights, medicine, mental-health, research, Science, Science News, technology, Technology News, travel, vacation Leave a comment
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Snack bars, yogurts, ice cream, even bottled water: it seems like food makers have worked out ways to slip extra protein into just about anything as they seek to capitalize on a growing consumer trend.
Today, protein-fortified foods and protein supplements form a market worth tens of billions of US dollars, with fitness influencers, as well as some researchers and physicians, promoting high-protein diets as the secret to strength and longevity. Protein is undeniably essential, but how much people really need is still a topic of debate.
On the one hand, most official guidelines recommend a minimum of close to one gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, or the equivalent of about 250 grams of cooked chicken (which contains around 68 g of protein) for an adult weighing 70 kilograms. On the other hand, a growing narrative in wellness circles encourages people to eat more than double that amount. Many scientists fall somewhere in the middle and take issue with some of the advice circulating online.
“It’s really frustrating because there isn’t evidence to support the claims that they’re making,” says Katherine Black, an exercise nutritionist at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, referring to the super-high protein recommendations often shared on social media. What research does show is that protein needs can vary from person to person and can change throughout a lifetime. And people should think carefully about what they eat to meet those needs. “On social media, it’s like everyone’s worried about protein, putting protein powder into everything,” she says.
Health authorities can help to guide people’s dietary choices on the basis of the latest research. The next Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a document that advises on what to eat for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, is due to come out by the end of this year. But its recommendations, which have tended to be broadly influential, might be changing.
Calculating protein needs
Researchers have been trying to estimate how much protein people need for more than a century. In 1840, chemist Justus von Liebig estimated that the average adult required 120 grams of protein a day, on the basis of a group of German workers’ diets. Later, scientists started to use nitrogen to calculate protein requirements. Protein is the only major dietary component that contains nitrogen. So, by measuring how much of it people consume and the amount they excrete, researchers could estimate how much the body uses.
Since the 1940s, this nitrogen-balance method has been used to determine the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA), a set of nutrient recommendations developed by the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
The latest such recommendation for protein, from 2005, establishes the RDA for both men and women at 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, which it states should be enough to meet the needs of 97–98% of healthy people. European and global-health authorities recommend similar or slightly higher levels.
Although scientists recognize that RDAs are a useful reference point, many say that people could benefit from a higher amount. “The RDA is not a target; it’s simply the minimum that appears to prevent any detectable deficiency,” says Donald Layman, a researcher focusing on protein requirements at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign. Evidence suggests that the optimal range is between 1.2 and 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, he says.
That is especially true for older adults, who often experience muscle loss as they age, as well as for certain athletes and people trying to gain muscle.
For example, in an observational study of 2,066 adults aged 70–79, those who reported eating the most protein — about 1.1 gram per kilogram of bodyweight — lost 40% less lean mass during the three years of follow-up than did those who ate the least — around 0.7 grams per kilogram.
“For older adults, 1.2 grams per kilogram is just giving them a little extra protection,” says Nicholas Burd, a nutrition and exercise researcher also at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign. Furthermore, older people might experience a decline in appetite, which makes it particularly important for them to pay attention to their protein intake. It doesn’t mean that they need to take protein supplements, he says. “It’s all things we can do with just normal incorporation of high-protein foods in our lives.”
For healthy adults, increasing protein can boost the effects of resistance exercise, such as weightlifting. A 2017 systematic review found that, among people engaged in this type of training, taking protein supplements enhanced muscle gain and strength. But increasing protein beyond 1.6 grams per kilogram per day provided no further benefit.
Meanwhile, some fitness influencers swear by eating 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight. For most people, that’s simply overkill, says Burd. There’s little harm, other than for people with kidney disease, but Burd adds: “You just create an inefficient system where your body gets very good at wasting food protein.”
Some practitioners might recommend higher protein targets to ensure that people get enough, Burd says. But the protein craze has been driven mostly by aggressive marketing of high-protein foods and supplements, he says.
“The myth of increased protein needs has seeped into popular imagination, including among health professionals, and has been conveniently reinforced by the food industry,” says Fernanda Marrocos, a researcher specializing in nutrition and food policy at the University of São Paulo in Brazil.
Amino-acid goals
Not all proteins are the same, and some researchers argue for a more nuanced recommendation that takes into account the amino acids — the building blocks of proteins — that foods contain. The human body requires 20 amino acids to function properly, including 9 that are considered ‘essential’ because they can be obtained only through food.
The balance of those nine in animal-based foods is exactly what other animals need, says Layman. “In plants, the essential amino acids are generally there, but they’re in proportions for the plants.” That means that some plants might be rich in certain amino acids but not in others, so meeting the amino-acid requirements with plant-based products might require a greater variety of foods.
He is critical of the way that official dietary guidelines calculate the recommendations for proteins from different sources. For example, according to the US Department of Agriculture, 14 grams of almonds can substitute 28 grams of chicken breast. Research by Layman and his colleagues, which considers the amino-acid balance, suggests that it would actually take more than 115 grams of almonds to substitute 28 grams of chicken.
Robert Wolfe, a researcher focusing on muscle metabolism at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, says that dietary guidelines should incorporate the analysis of the quality of the protein, including the amino-acid balance and the degree to which the human body can digest them.
One area for future research, Wolfe says, is understanding exactly how food processing affects protein content. Factors such as cooking temperature, for example, can influence how well the body digests protein. This can have implications for certain protein supplements and high-protein bars, which are generally highly processed.
Obtaining that information requires going beyond nitrogen-balance studies. Wolfe’s team has used isotope tracers to determine the rate at which food protein is incorporated into new proteins in the body. One study of 56 young adults, for example, concluded that eating animal-based proteins resulted in a greater gain in body protein than did eating the equivalent amount of plant-based protein. But studies in this area are still small and shouldn’t be taken to mean that people must get all their protein from animal sources.
The American Heart Association recommends prioritizing plant proteins, given that the saturated fat found in red meats can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. There’s also a high environmental cost associated with meat production, which is a major source of greenhouse-gas emissions.
Burd says that if a diet includes at least a portion of animal-based protein, it will probably provide all the essential amino acids for maintaining good health. And it is possible to achieve the same benefits solely from plant-based proteins. “This is where supplements could be beneficial because it’s more challenging to reach that balance from plants only,” Burd says.
Specialists advising the formulation of the upcoming Dietary Guidelines for Americans say that most Americans already eat more than enough proteins. They suggest reducing protein consumption from red meat, chicken and eggs and increasing the consumption of certain vegetables. But it’s unclear what exactly will be in the guidelines: US health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr has stated in recent months that they will emphasize the need to eat saturated fats from sources including meat and dairy, which goes against recommendations from many medical associations.
Protein consumption is adequate in most parts of the world, says Marrocos. A study her team led in Brazil found that, in general, people consume well above the World Health Organization’s protein recommendation, even those with the lowest income. So there’s no need to obsess about hitting an exact protein number.
“For most people, as long as they’re eating enough calories and a reasonably varied diet, they’ll get all the protein they need,” says Marrocos.
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The Final Countdown to Retire Early in 2026: A Monthly Guide
December 3, 2025
Business, Food For Thought, Human Interest, Political, Science, Technical amazon, business, Business News, current-events, Future, Hotels, human-rights, medicine, mental-health, research, Science, Science News, technology, Technology News, travel, vacation Leave a comment
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Editor’s note: Retire Early in 2026 is part of a series on how to retire early and the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement. Part one is How to Retire Early in Six Steps.
It’s said that waiting for the right moment is just procrastination in disguise. So, what if 2026 is the year you finally prepare for early retirement and start living it by December 31?
Retiring before 62, or even by 55, is an exciting but daunting goal, as many traditional benefits aren’t yet available to you. How do you access retirement accounts without penalties? Will you have enough income without Social Security? What’s your plan for health coverage?
Retire early in 2026 (or at least by year’s end)
There’s no Goldilocks moment in this story. You have to trust the work you’ve already done — whether it’s saving half your income, living modestly, or building multiple streams of income. As self-help author Napoleon Hill put it: “Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.”
If you’re done waiting but aren’t sure what the final steps are, this monthly early retirement checklist is for you. By December 31, 2026, you can ceremoniously update your LinkedIn profile headline to include one very satisfying word: “former.”
January: review your retirement readiness
Since this year’s resolution is greater than dropping a few pounds, there’s no time to waste. Brett Spencer, CFP® and founder of Impact Financial, advises, “Retirement planning can be overwhelming, especially dealing with the nuances of early retirement. Just like a new year’s workout program, getting started is key.”
Here’s what to tackle first so your goal doesn’t collect dust like an unused gym membership.
Assess your target: How much do you need? The Rule of 25 is a simple formula: multiply your estimated annual retirement expenses by 25. This provides a target number that could allow you to withdraw 4% annually while preserving your nest egg. For greater accuracy, try our retirement calculator.
Build a budget: Include essentials like housing and food, as well as fun stuff like travel. Recognizing many high-income workers in the FIRE (financial independence, retire early) movement, WorthPointe partner and CFP® John Chapman says, “High earners may not need to budget while working, but in early retirement, it’s a must.”
Get a plan and run projections: A financial adviser can stress-test your plan for worst-case scenarios, ensuring your money outlasts you — not the other way around.
February: build a healthcare plan
Instead of your sweetheart, focus on your own heart this year — literally. Medicare doesn’t kick in until 65, so healthcare is often a major planning hurdle for early retirees.
Explore options: Look into COBRA, ACA marketplace plans or joining a spouse’s plan. Among these, enrolling in a spouse’s plan often proves most cost-effective, providing a bridge to Medicare eligibility. Chapman notes, “Premiums depend on income, so understanding coverage is critical.” Remember that you can also use funds in a health savings account (HSA) when you retire.
Schedule checkups: Knock out physicals, dental visits and specialist appointments while you’ve got coverage.
March: organize your financial accounts
Madness is for basketball, not your finances. This month, simplify.
Consider consolidating accounts: It may make sense to combine investment and retirement accounts for easier management. Make sure you know which financial and tax documents to keep and how to store them safely.
Pay off high-interest debt: “Eliminating debt, including your mortgage, lowers fixed costs and adds peace of mind,” Chapman says. Try some of our tips for how to pay off credit card debt.
Build cash reserves: Save 6-12 months of expenses in a high-yield savings account or money market account. “Since early retirees may not access retirement accounts without penalties, it’s important to hold at least a year’s worth of expenses in cash reserves,” Chapman adds. “Also, build up significant non-retirement investments to fund spending before tapping into retirement accounts.”
April: maximize tax opportunities
This is the rare year when tax season brings joy. Spencer says, “Beyond filing, it’s a great time to take advantage of any tax benefits and plan for the year ahead.”
Boost retirement accounts: For instance, you can max out 2025 IRA contributions by April 15, 2026. Spencer also recommends “maximizing 401(k) contributions and considering contributing to an HSA or FSA for additional tax deductions.”
Consider Roth conversions: “Once you retire early, your taxable income may drop significantly,” Chapman says. This creates a great opportunity for Roth conversions — transferring funds from pre-tax (“traditional”) IRAs or 401(k)s to Roth IRAs at potentially lower tax rates. He suggests consulting a tax adviser to determine the right amount to convert without triggering unintended tax consequences.
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(Image credit: Getty Images)
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James' World 2 