Sunshine Slate

With tax season underway, New Hampshire groups are raising awareness about the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA), an IRS-sponsored program to help people file their income tax returns correctly and maximize their refunds. Granite Staters who earn less than about $56,000 a year are eligible for VITA. Cary Gladstone, senior director of asset-building services for Granite United Way, said through online sites, such as myfreetaxes.com , as many as seven in 10 people who file a tax return can do it free. “The VITA program provides face-to-face and drop-off and remote preparation by IRS-certified volunteers,” Gladstone explained. “They can reach that by going to NHtaxhelp.org and finding a site near them.” Gladstone added residents without internet access can call 211 and operators will help them make an appointment. And while the deadline for filing taxes isn’t until mid-April, he said it is important to get started as soon as possible, to make sure you maximize your re...

Injectable wrinkle fillers are all the rage these days, but Facial Plastic Surgeon Dr. Stephen Prendiville says they are not a solution for everyone. Dr. Prendiville says he sees patients who come to his office for Botox or one of the other facial fillers when what they really need is a facelift. “There is fake news that fillers and injectables are all you’ll ever need to keep looking your youthful best, but nothing could be further from the truth,” he said. “The gold standard for facial rejuvenation is – and always has been – a facelift.” Dr. Prendiville will separate fact from fiction at a free seminar he is hosting Friday, Feb. 18, at Connor’s Steak and Seafood Restaurant at Gulf Coast Town Center in South Fort Myers. The seminar begins at 11:30 a.m. with a light lunch. The seminar is free but reservations are required by calling 239-437-3900. Space is limited. “Fillers and injectables work well as stand-alone treatments for women in their 30s and 40s, but cannot be considered...

No7 Beauty Company announces the launch of a ground-breaking influencer skincare education programme, created in partnership with the British Beauty Council to help educate up-and-coming social creators on skincare . It will be the first-of-its kind industry initiative to upskill creators by providing world-class ‘Science of Skincare’ education modules specifically designed to tackle misleading and incorrect content on social platforms and ensure skin-related content is based on scientific truth. The skincare education programme will form the cornerstone of the No7 Beauty Company Creator Collective; an exclusive community created for up-and-coming social creators. By invitation only, the No7 Beauty Company Creator Collective will train and upskill influencers, who will be given the tools to help boost their skincare knowledge through exclusive access to educational content created by leading beauty and science experts. The ambition is that this rigorous skincare training will giv...

Many health-care advocates tout the benefits of home-based care rather than sending loved ones to nursing homes or other facilities. For Medicaid recipients in Florida , however, home-based care can be difficult to find because of long waiting lists and high turnover among underpaid home-care workers. There’s some hope that lawmakers in Congress could agree – and pass a new, “slimmed down” version of President Joe Biden ‘s Build Back Better plan , with $150 billion for Home and Community-based Services. Miriam Haramatz, founder and advocacy director for the Florida Health Justice Project , said the funding needs are critical because too many people are fending for themselves. “One of our clients had to go days without services,” she said. “She is in bed after a stroke; she needs aides to come and operate a Hoyer lift. She was going virtually every weekend without any aid.” Harmatz said caregivers often are paid less than $11 an hour to provide intense, round-the-clock care while...

Systematic knowledge is knowledge gained by a systematic study of any natural or social sciences phenomenon. Systematic knowledge is a meta-analysis of any branch of knowledge, facts, principles and theories. The word systematic refers to doing things in an organized or methodical manner. Similarly, Systematic knowledge of any subject acquires knowledge about the relevant question in an organized manner. It requires a high-level overview of primary and secondary research in qualitative and quantitative analysis. Data collection techniques for Systematic knowledge differ from primary and secondary data collection methods. Systematic data collection techniques are comprehensive and more exhaustive than standard techniques. The study design of systematic reviews about the relevant subject matter is objective. It strives to produce reliable findings. A methodical data collection technique comprises searching, selecting, and managing high standard evidence available for research. The metho...

Recent data on ocean conditions could be good news for struggling salmon in the Northwest. But advocates for the species warn this isn’t enough to stop their alarming slide. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is expecting ocean waters to remain cold and more food abundant for the fish along the West Coast. However Miles Johnson, senior attorney with Columbia Riverkeeper, noted this doesn’t necessarily mean better conditions for a crucial part of their lives – in the rivers where salmon spawn. “It’s good to be in a good cycle,” said Johnson. “But what this is is an opportunity to fix the problems that we have in the freshwater and jumpstart some kind of recovery. It’s not going to get us out of the hole that we’re in.” Climate change is another factor. A recent study from Columbia University’s Earth Institute shows land temperatures are increasing 2.5 times faster than ocean temperatures, meaning wildlife in land and river systems are more vulnerable to the warming...

January saw some Minnesota schools move back to distance learning because of COVID-19 cases. Families struggling to find their kids meals in these scenarios are urged to use available aid, while policymakers face pressure to remove food barriers beyond the crisis. States like Minnesota opted to carry out an extra form of federal relief for when schools shift to remote learning. Households can receive Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer cards , which are loaded with a certain amount of money for each day a child is forced to stay home. Bukata Hayes – vice president of racial and health equity for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota – said even when it’s just temporary, lack of access has a big impact. “The notion that students who are hungry prior to engaging in learning see, if you will, diminished academic outcomes compared to those who have access to nutritional meals,” said Hayes. The federal government is still providing free meals to all students when they’re in school. But...

Florida Notarizations Online, a website offering online notarizations for any document, has announced the launch of its new service called Virtual Notary in Florida . An online notary in Florida provides an easy and secure way to remotely notarize documents from anywhere in the world and is available for all people in Florida who are 18 years or older. The company believes that this is just the beginning of their work to provide more options for residents of Florida who need to legally certify their identity with a notary stamp on paper without needing to drive anywhere. All the person will need is to have a Florida driver’s license and a computer or phone with video capabilities. On June 7, 2019, HB 409 “Electronic Legal Documents” was signed into law. This law has been in effect since January 1, 2020. This law authorizes Florida notaries to perform online remote notarizations after the completion of an application and training requirements. Documents such as affidavits, di...

Keys will always have a purpose but imagine not having to worry about losing physical keys or fumbling around in your purse to find them – what a pleasure. A large percentage of homeowners are choosing to make the switch to digital locks for these exact reasons and more. All you need to operate your smart lock is an app on your phone that’s connected to your specific front door lock. You can now lock and unlock your front door from anywhere. Whether you need to let someone in when you’re not at home or have your Amazon delivery placed inside your house instead of leaving it outside, digital locks make this possible. This is a prime example of technology advancement at its best. If you’re new to the world of digital locks, however, you might be wondering which digital locks are right for you, what to consider, and how to install them – this guide will answer your questions. How to Choose a Digital Lock for Your Front Door There are a few key things to consider when selecting a dig...

The pandemic shows no signs of ending soon, and with working from home and distance learning still a reality for many Florida households, health experts are concerned about the mental, social and physical health of children using digital devices. That includes the possible damaging effects of blue-light exposure. Scott Edmonds, chief eye-care officer at United Healthcare , said blue light is a low-wavelength, high-energy light that can boost a person’s alertness. However, doctors and researchers are concerned about the effects it can have over time. “Research shows it’s toxic to the retina,” he said. “It causes the retina to change its metabolism and, over the long term, could lead to retinal damage.” Experts have said the best ways to reduce blue-light impact is to keep screens at least 30 inches away from your eyes and to use a blue-light filter or glasses. Another recommendation is the “20-20-20” rule – after 20 minutes of computer work, take 20 seconds to look at something that...

Panelling is set to be a big interior trend in 2022: it’s a great way to frame rooms and add a funky vintage touch to a space. It’s also ideal when combined with 2022’s other hot trend: maximalist wallpapers. Designer wallpaper brand Feathr takes a look at 7 stunning combinations of panelling and wallpaper that grab this exciting new trend. Frame wallpaper with panels For a really dramatic effect, you can use wood panels to frame wallpaper – creating art installations across your walls. This is used to great effect in with The Swoop Luxe wallpaper: the fresh white panels are the perfect backdrop to the gold detailing of this luxury wallpaper. View design: The Swoop Image credit: Shutterstock/Jafara Go maximalist Wood panelling in a traditional style instantly recalls vintage architecture from Georgian and Victorian periods. Combine this with maximalist luxury wallpaper for a look that brings together modern energy and traditional detailing. The Aljezur wallpaper is a great cho...

A new report suggests discrimination in medical settings affects the quality of care for many Ohioans. In a survey of more than 800 people, discrimination was not a rare experience, and for women and people of color; it was common. In the survey, Black women reported feeling “less respected” twice as often as white men, and Black men were four times more likely to report being harassed in a health-care setting. Greg Braylock, Jr., vice president and chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer for ProMedica, a health-care system based in northwest Ohio , said he isn’t surprised by the findings. “We’ve known in health care for decades that we’ve had disparities in how people experience health care, the outcomes that they have,” Braylock observed. “But we have failed as an industry to sufficiently address these negative differences in outcomes that we see.” Some 22% of those surveyed said they have accepted discrimination in medical settings as “a way of life,” but 24% said they...

On the Florida Legislature’s opening day, House leaders scheduled separate redistricting committee meetings at the same time – and critics blasted it as another attempt to limit public input. Republicans in the Florida House, who control the process of drawing new congressional and legislative district boundaries, held meetings Tuesday, specifically for public comment – but both were at 4 p.m. What was scheduled as a two-hour meeting ended in just eight minutes, after only two county commissioners spoke about the redistricting process. Just before adjournment, state Rep. Dan Daley, D-Coral Springs, called on acting chairman, Republican Cord Byrd, R-Neptune Beach, to make a change. “I can’t help but wonder if there are folks who are currently in the congressional redistricting committee, that was noticed at the same exact time, that are not here today,” Daley said. “So, in the future, if we can just make sure we put them at separate times, I’d like to reiterate that request again....

In 2021, the US Dollar Index rose 7% from its January low, driven in part by an increasingly hawkish Fed. With so much upside already priced in, we consider five factors that could drive the dollar in 2022 and beyond. Geopolitical tensions Geopolitical tensions, which had abated during the pandemic, are back. Negotiations between Russia and the West are, allegedly, off to a poor start, with Russia insisting that NATO rule out further expansion. Tensions over Ukraine could support the dollar in the near term. Faster and deeper liftoff Interest rates rose sharply across maturities in the first week of January, as investors recognized that central banks now prioritize fighting inflation. Since Jerome Powell was re-appointed, his hawkish pivot has taken many by surprise. Weeks ago, almost all forecasters predicted the Fed would wait at least until Q2 2022 before raising rates. The market now expects a first hike as early as March. A faster and deeper liftoff in interest rates, and th...

Still another appellate court has shot down another federal Covid measure, this time a vaccine mandate for federal contractors, notes public interest law professor John Banzhaf , who argues that – with such a string of major court losses – it may be time for the Biden administration to adopt a measure which would withstand legal challenges; a rule requiring airline passengers to be vaccinated. Banzhaf also notes a new trend, just documented by the Los Angeles Times, of parents losing some of their child custody rights because they refuse to be vaccinated, just as parents lost similar rights – and in a few cases actually lost all custody – under cases he triggered when parents refused to quit smoking. The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals has just upheld an injunction barring enforcement of a Covid-19 vaccination requirement for employees of federal contractors, rejecting the argument that the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act allows the federal government to require vacc...

Whether it is attending a wedding, celebrating any festivities, or going out to any ceremonial event, every female desire to have a branded cosmetic kit on their makeup shelf.  It is easy to order cosmetic products online in Pakistan with GuruApp. GuruApp is an online cosmetic shopping store that aims to serve all cosmetic savvy ladies online in Pakistan. As an emerging  online cosmetic store in Pakistan , GuruApp is redefining cosmetic retailing and the way people use and consume cosmetics. GuruApp is the one-stop cosmetic guru that brings you premium quality cosmetic shopping to the palm of your hand. With its a highly user-friendly, interactive, and intuitive website, GuruApp is making it significantly easy to shop makeup products online and get them delivered to your doorstep in Pakistan. To light up your inner beauty diva, GuruApp’s exclusive beauty products are available in a variety of highly recognized international brands. Guruaap’s full coverage makeup kit comes wi...

Even if you have the best industry skills, sending a poorly-made resume is a sure path to rejection. Your resume is one of the most critical documents in job applications, so you should invest time in it. It can either make or break your chance of landing an interview. In addition, most, if not all, hiring companies require one from applicants, so take the time to create one and carefully polish it. Why is a Resume Important? A resume is one of the many documents hiring managers look at when considering an applicant. This is how they will first check to see if you are qualified for the job. They will study your educational and work experiences, skills, training, and accomplishments. Many job candidates have lost opportunities of landing their dream jobs just because of poorly-written resumes. Another important reason why you should design your resume meticulously is that it will go through an ATS first. An ATS or Applicant Tracking System is a computer program that scans your resume...