xixi

Blog

  • Bears, Packers breakout player picks for 2025 NFL season, plus Vikings, Packers predictions

    Bears, Packers breakout player picks for 2025 NFL season, plus Vikings, Packers predictions


    The best division in football might be the NFC North this season. After getting three teams into the NFC playoffs last year, each team comes back loaded with a chance to be great, and for one team, a chance to be great for the first time in a long time. The Lions are the reigning champs, but can’t seem to shake an injury bug that’s plagued them for over a season now. Can the Packers win the division once again? Will the Vikings take another step with a new QB? What in the hell are the Bears doing?

    Let’s dig deep into the division and find some breakout players for each team.

    Chicago Bears: WR Rome Odunze

    The Bears’ offense last season was more of a collection of errors than a functioning NFL offense, but despite that I think WR Rome Odunze showed his ability to get open and focus when the ball is in the air. His 734 receiving yards were meager for a first round receiver of his stature, but he led all of the Bears’ high volume targets in first down rate when targeted and finished second among all Bears receivers in total EPA. Ben Johnson now comes over to call the plays and design the new offense, and I think the focal point could be around Odunze. Keenan Allen is a free agent, and DJ Moore’s skill set is sorta similar to rookie wideout Luther Burden III, but Odunze’s smooth skills on the outside could see a big increase in production.

    Detroit Lions: OG Christian Mahogany

    The Lions’ offensive line is getting a lot younger this season, but new full time starter Christian Mahogany could be in a position to breakout. I thought he was a bit of a sleeper entering the 2024 NFL Draft and now he gets the chance to be a full time starter next to Penei Sewell, one of the best offensive linemen in the game. Even with Ben Johnson being gone, offensive line coach Hank Fraley stays around to keep the strongest unit on the Lions together, and Mahogany could be the next guy up.

    Green Bay Packers: LT Rasheed Walker

    If you ask many casual NFL fans if they know Rasheed Walker and they might not be able to tell you, but Walker has constantly grown and is entering a contract year for Green Bay. He’s a smooth pass protector with the athleticism to frustrate a lot of the premier pass rushers in the NFL. The Packers will often leave him on islands as a pass protector, but he holds up really well in that area too:

    If his athleticism can start to show up in the run game, he could find himself in line for a big extension in Green Bay.

    Minnesota Vikings: QB JJ McCarthy

    Last year, QB Sam Darnold took the starting job in Minnesota and simply had a career year en route to a big money deal with the Seahawks. With the offensive infrastructure in Minnesota, it’s hard to say anyone but JJ McCarthy is going to breakout for the Vikings. Before his season-ending knee injury, I thought he showed some really nice traits in the preseason action that he saw. His willingness to attack the middle of the field and smooth moves in the pocket give him some different flavors of QB’ing than Darnold, even if some of the efficiency might go down (he’s a rookie so expect that). However, throwing to WRs Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, then TE TJ Hockenson is the best way to ease a transition into the NFL. I’m excited to see what McCarthy does.

  • Why Yoga Isn’t Enough to Improve Bone Density

    Why Yoga Isn’t Enough to Improve Bone Density


    Can yoga actually improve bone density?

    If you ask Google, you’ll find all sorts of resources saying yes—yoga is an effective method for building bone density and preventing osteoporotic fractures, like hip or femur breaks from falls.

    A search for “Yoga for Osteoporosis” pulls up thousands of hits for books, programs, and videos promising to help you build better bones with a low-impact yoga practice. Even Yoga with Adriene has a “Yoga for Bone Health” video on her channel, which reaches over 12 million subscribers.

    But most of those links trace back to one main source: the work of Dr. Loren Fishman, author of several books including Yoga for Osteoporosis. He’s also the co-author of a 2015 study that suggests yoga can increase bone mineral density (BMD) in the spine and femoral neck—potentially reducing the risk of life-threatening fractures in older adults. The study was titled, “12-Minute Daily Yoga Regimen Reverses Osteoporotic Bone Loss.”

    The Study That Made Waves in the Yoga World

    I remember when the news of Dr. Fishman’s study came out. It was a big deal in the yoga world and sent ripples through the broader wellness space.

    Instead of just being known for relaxation, yoga could now be seen as a one-stop-shop for all your fitness needs.

    It was great news for yoga practitioners—and great for business, too. Studios and teachers now had scientific backing for what they were already promoting. The study also helped bring yoga further into the mainstream and validated what many longtime yogis already believed about their beloved practice.

    But the bigger question remained: Are the study’s findings legit?

    What the LIFTMOR Trial Tells Us About Bone Growth

    Interestingly, the same year Dr. Fishman’s study was published, so was the LIFTMOR trial.

    The LIFTMOR trial also studied osteoporosis—specifically in postmenopausal women with no significant history of exercise and low bone mineral density. Participants were split into two groups: one did low-impact movement at home, while the other did supervised high-intensity progressive resistance training (HiPRT). Each group exercised twice a week for 30 minutes over an eight-month period.

    The results? There was a significant difference in bone growth between the low-intensity home group and the supervised strength training group. And those results were replicated in multiple similar trials that followed.

    Even better? The resistance training group had no injuries reported.

    So, if low-impact movement had minimal impact on BMD, but the Fishman study claimed yoga (also low impact) increased BMD—what gives?

    Why Dr. Fishman’s Study Falls Short

    There are several flaws in Dr. Fishman’s study that make the results less scientifically valid.

    1. No control group. This means they’re not comparing the results of people doing yoga to people not doing yoga. They were simply doing 12 poses and tracking their progress—sometimes qualitatively (“how do you feel?”), sometimes quantitatively (via bone scans). Without a control group to compare the results to, it’s hard to draw reliable conclusions from the findings in this study.

    2. The study hasn’t been independently replicated. It lacks enough detail for others to reproduce it and validate the findings.

    3. Potential for bias. Dr. Fishman funded the study himself. That doesn’t automatically disqualify the work, but it does raise red flags—especially given that he profits from yoga books, programs, and trainings if the findings support the use of his products and services.

    4. It’s not a blind or double blind study.

    Every person who participated was already a yoga practitioner when they started. It wasn’t a new practice for them, but familiar. Something they probably enjoyed. This would have also likely impacted how they responded to the yoga poses or were simply more inclined to stay committed to doing the poses consistently.

    Together, these factors limit the study’s validity and scientific rigor.

    The Real Science Behind Building Bone Density

    Here’s what we do know: to build bone, you have to stress bone.

    That means applying a certain amount of pressure to bones to stimulate growth.

    And as your body adapts, you must increase that pressure over time. This is what progressive overload is all about—increasing the weight or impact to keep your bones responding and getting stronger.

    Put simply, yoga doesn’t apply enough force to significantly increase bone density.

    Let’s Get Practical: What Yoga Can (and Can’t) Do

    Many of the poses in Dr. Fishman’s study were standing, but some were seated. One was supine and inactive—savasana, pose #12.

    If seated and supine positions built stronger bones, we’d all be increasing BMD while driving or sleeping.

    In the study, Dr. Fishman argued that yoga pits opposing muscle groups against each other in a way that stimulates bone growth. He wrote:

    “By pitting one group of muscles against another, yoga exposes bones to greater forces and, therefore, might enhance bone mineral density (BMD) more than other means.”

    Unfortunately, this simply isn’t true.

    At best, yoga involves bodyweight-only force—about the same as walking your dog. And studies repeatedly show that bones need significant load or impact to grow: things like lifting heavy weights or jumping.

    So, Can Yoga Help You Build Strength?

    Yes—to a point. But for most people—no.

    Yoga is a fantastic foundation for strength, particularly if you’re new to movement, recovering from injury or illness, or working on reconnecting with your body.

    Because it uses bodyweight only (plus gravity), you’ll eventually plateau in how much strength you can gain. But it’s great for building endurance if you hold poses for longer than a few breaths.

    One Practice Can’t Do Everything

    Let’s be real: no single practice checks every fitness box.

    Strength training builds muscle and bone, but it’s not cardio. Cycling is great for cardiovascular health, but it won’t improve bone density. Dance is fun and expressive and offers impact and cardio, but not strength.

    Every type of movement has its strengths and limitations—and that’s okay.

    The point is simply to say that our bodies need variety and one style of movement cannot do everything our bodies need to be healthy.

    Do Yoga for the Right Reasons

    Do yoga because:

    • It feels good in your body.

    • It strengthens your mind-body connection.

    • It helps you feel grounded and less stressed.

    • It improves your flexibility and balance.

    Do it for all those beautiful reasons and more.

    But don’t do yoga expecting it to increase your bone density. It won’t. —Naomi

    References:

    https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4851231/

    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26243363/

    https://www.karinweinstein.com/post/yoga-for-osteoporosis-bone-mineral-density

    EPISODE 51: PERSISTENT MYTHS ABOUT OSTEOPOROSIS

  • Social Media Network Volatility Is Constant — Brands Must Keep Up

    Social Media Network Volatility Is Constant — Brands Must Keep Up


    The social media landscape is increasingly fragmented, a result of both regulatory changes and evolving algorithms. This is fueling a race among brands to establish equity and relevance in emerging digital spaces, a prospect that understandably worries social marketers. For most of them, their biggest fear is their audiences migrating to private, closed, or niche platforms.

    (more…)

  • WWII atomic waste contaminated a Missouri creek. People nearby had more cancer risk : Shots

    WWII atomic waste contaminated a Missouri creek. People nearby had more cancer risk : Shots


    Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M., speaks at a podium with a sign that says " Pass the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act." The sign shows a picture of a mushroom cloud exposure.

    Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M., speaks in favor of reauthorizing the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act in 2024. The legislation, which will benefit people sickened by radiation exposure in uranium mining and nuclear weapons testing, was included in the budget bill President Trump signed on July 4, 2025.

    Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images


    hide caption

    toggle caption

    Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

    Children who lived near a St. Louis creek polluted with radioactive atomic bomb waste from the 1940s through the 1960s were more likely to be diagnosed with cancer over their lifetimes than children who lived farther from the waterway, a new study has found.

    The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, corroborate worries that neighbors of Coldwater Creek have long held about the Missouri River tributary where generations of children played.

    Radioactive waste found at Missouri elementary school

    “We actually saw something quite dramatic, not only elevated risk of cancer, but one that increased steadily in a sort of dose-response manner the closer the childhood residents got to Coldwater Creek,” said the study’s senior author, Marc Weisskopf, an epidemiology professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

    As part of the Manhattan Project, Mallinckrodt Chemical Works processed uranium in St. Louis for the development of an atomic bomb. By the mid-1940s, according to historians, the company began to haul its radioactive waste north of the city, leaving it in open steel drums, unattended and exposed to the elements, next to Coldwater Creek.

    The study’s release comes shortly after passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” which contained a little-known provision to help people sickened by exposure to nuclear waste in Missouri and elsewhere. It provides payments of $25,000 to families of people who died as a result of radiation-linked cancers in the St. Louis area and $50,000 to those who developed the cancers and survived.

    Generations After The First Nuclear Test, Those Sickened Fight For Compensation

    Like the new study, the provision recognizes the potential health risks from lower radiation levels associated with the production of the atomic bomb. Previous legislation, the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, known as RECA, expired last year after paying out $2.6 billion to people who developed cancer after exposure to high-dose radiation from participating in onsite atomic weapon testing, mining or hauling uranium or being downwind of the Nevada test site.

    U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, is shown surrounded by reporters on June 28, 2025.

    U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, made sure the RECA reauthorization was included in the recently passed budget bill and that it included benefits for his constituents who lived near the contaminated creek.

    Al Drago/Getty Images


    hide caption

    toggle caption

    Al Drago/Getty Images

    Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, pushed to get a new version of RECA into the Trump budget bill. Hawley had been a vocal critic of the BBB’s $900 billion cut to Medicaid, but in the end voted for the massive package of tax and spending cuts. Hawley’s yes vote came after a $50 billion fund for rural hospitals was added to the BBB.

    Research treasure trove: Decades-old baby teeth

    Weisskopf and his research team had the addresses of 4,209 tooth donors from the St. Louis Baby Tooth Survey. Participants, born between 1945 and 1966, donated their baby teeth for science starting in 1958 and joined the new experiment between 2021 and 2024. Weisskopf initially planned to study cognitive decline, but after participants repeatedly mentioned Coldwater Creek, he pivoted to investigating proximity to the creek and cancer risk.

    Almost one-quarter of the participants reported having cancer. Those who lived within one kilometer of the creek as children were 44% more likely to report having cancer than those who lived more than 20 kilometers away. Even more striking, those who lived within one kilometer of the creek were 85% more likely to have radiosensitive cancers, cancers believed to be caused by radiation.

    Dr. Rebecca Smith-Bindman, a radiologist and epidemiology professor at the University of California, said she was impressed with the design of the study, with which she was not involved. “This study adds to our understanding that radiation is carcinogenic and that we have to be cautious to minimize exposures to radiation wherever possible,” she said. The main source of exposure today comes from medical imaging, she said.

    The study also highlights the need to clean up areas, like shipyards, with radioactive waste, she said.

    A behavioral difference for boys?

    Male study participants were more likely than female participants to develop cancer, Smith-Bindman noted. She and Weisskopf hypothesized that the boys were more likely to play in Coldwater Creek in the aftermath of World War II.

    In 1958, scientists at Washington University began collecting the baby teeth of children from St. Louis. The teeth were used in studies investigating possible links between cancer and the fallout from nuclear tests in the western U.S. St. Louis was chosen not because of its connection to uranium production but because milk in the Midwest had some of the nation’s highest levels of strontium-90, a radioactive isotope produced by nuclear fission. 

    High concentrations of strontium-90 found in donated baby teeth contributed to the adoption of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963. A 2011 study found that men who were children in St. Louis in the 1960s and died of cancer by middle age had more than twice as much radioactive strontium in their baby teeth as men who grew up nearby and were still alive.

    Though he did not use the baby teeth in his current study, Weisskopf would like to measure strontium-90 in the teeth in a future study to assess cancer risk and actual exposure.

    “As boys, they might have played in the creek way more than girls, and so they got much more exposure,” he said. “If that were the case, then the radiation in the teeth should be higher in the boys than in the girls.”

    Given that the half-life of strontium-90 is 29 years, Weisskopf is eager to begin work on a more detailed study while radiation remains in the baby teeth.

  • What is Credit Card Piggybacking?

    What is Credit Card Piggybacking?


    Credit card piggybacking is when you add someone else as an authorized user to help them improve their credit history and thus their credit score.

    Adding someone as an authorized user is free and they will see that credit line appear on their report, which can help improve it.

    Remember that the FICO credit score is made up for five factors:

    If you add in a new credit line with a long history of on-time payments, you help improve Length of Credit History as well as Payment History, which make up 50% of the score.

    The person you add doesn’t need to get the card itself. Just adding them will confer the benefits.

    Minimum ages for authorized users

    Some issuers have a minimum age for authorized users:

    • American Express – 13
    • Barclays – 13
    • Discover – 15
    • U.S. Bank – 13

    The following banks do not list an age – Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo, and USAA.

    If you want to help someone, find your oldest credit card and find out if there is an age requirement.

    Some banks will not report the credit card for authorized users unless they are a certain age. American Express explains in their FAQ on Additional Card Members (emphasis mine):

    Q. How does the Additional Card Member establish credit?

    A. Credit information will be provided to the credit bureau for the Additional Card Member when they are 18 or older. The Additional Card Member builds only positive credit history based on the credit behavior of the Basic Card Member. If the Basic Card Member becomes delinquent at any point, we will discontinue reporting on the Additional Card Member’s Card in order to retain positive history on the Additional Card Member.

    Are there downsides to credit piggybacking?

    If you do not give the authorized user their card, there is zero downside.

    If you do, the risk is that you are responsible for their spending. They may have been added as an authorized user but it is still your credit card – you are responsible for the debt and not the person that you added. If they don’t have the card, or the number of the card, there is no risk.

    Do not pay for credit piggybacking

    There are some credit repair companies who will claim that this strategy is fool-proof and in a sense they are correct, there’s no risk to doing this and it’s likely to help.

    There is no guarantee.

    Many companies have settled with the FTC for promising this.

    It’s a part of your score but if your history is long and generally bad, adding an additional credit line is unlikely to improve your score significantly. The average credit line factor is an average, so adding one card when you have 5 bad ones is not going to have a big impact.

    Adding an authorized user

    Adding an authorized user is really easy – just log into the issuer’s website and it’s usually somewhere under Accounts or Account services. Here it is in Chase:

    You will need a limited set of personal information to add an authorized user. For Chase, you don’t even need their Social Security Number but they will still report it to the bureaus.

  • Healthy Flavoured Water Or Just Hype?

    Healthy Flavoured Water Or Just Hype?


    If you’ve ever Googled ‘air up review’ in a bid to figure out whether these popular bottles are a health game-changer like they say they are or whether they’re just another influencer-fuelled gimmick, then you’re in the right place.

    Because I’ve totally been the person that’s been frantically Googling ‘Air Up review’ in the hope of finding some answers.

    You see, Air Up has been on my radar for a good few years now. I remember my niece getting one for Christmas around the time every teenage girl wanted one. My daughter who was in primary school at the time, saw her cousin with this magic bottle and immediately began lusting after one.

    Now, not gonna lie, I was that mum who thought it was far too faddy, I didn’t really get it, couldn’t see what all the hype was about over what was essentially just a water bottle. And so she didn’t get one.

    Until now.

    Because the thing is my daughter doesn’t drink anywhere near as much as she should. A whole day can go by and she’s had maybe half a bottle’s worth of drink. It’s not enough. Especially in the heat. Which is rich coming from me, because I also don’t drink anywhere near enough.

    According to government health advice, we should all be aiming to drink between 6-8 glasses of water a day – that’s about 2 to 2.5 litres. This amount can also include low fat milk, tea, coffee, and sugar free drinks. But of course, water is by far the healthiest option.

    Let’s be honest though, drinking water is just a bit boring after a while, isn’t it?

    And that’s exactly why I’m writing this Air Up review. I want to see whether Air Up will get me and my daughter drinking more water and figure out once and for all whether this is genuinely healthy flavoured water or all just hype.

    How Does Air Up Flavour The Water?

    Ah ha well the thing is, it doesn’t. Well, not exactly. You see Air Up isn’t about adding stuff to water, it’s all about tricking the brain into believing that the water you’re drinking has a taste.

    I mean, what kind of magical sorcery is this!?!

    At the risk of sounding clichéd… here comes the science bit:

    Taste isn’t just a job for the tongue. Sure, our tongues help distinguish between sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami flavours, but we experience true flavour through our noses. If you’ve ever had a bad cold that leaves you with a blocked nose, you may have also noticed your taste goes too.

    If you’re wondering what on earth I’m talking about, try this little experiment – hold your nose and then eat or drink something with a strong flavour. You won’t taste anything. Now release your nose and the flavour will come flooding back in. It’s a technique I used all the time as a kid when there was a dinner I didn’t like (new potatoes yuck!).

    The process of tasting through your nose is known as retronasal olfaction and that’s exactly what Air Up uses to convince us that we’re drinking flavoured water. Or rather I should probably say ‘scented water’, because remember we’re not adding anything to the water as such, we’re just adding a scent that creates the illusion of flavour.

    And the secret to this are the Air Up pods.

    These little doughnut shaped scent pods are attached to the bottles so that when you drink water your nose smells the scent as you swallow. This scent travels to the olfactory region at the top of your nasal cavity and your brain then recognizes it as a taste. So although you’re drinking plain water, it tastes like it’s flavoured. Clever, huh?

    So, now we know how it works, let’s take a look at a couple of the products in a bit more detail:

    The Air Up tumbler is one of their newer products and I gotta say, I love it. Aside from looking super stylish I’ll always give extra brownie points to a product that is considerate of how it’s actually being used. Features like a slimmer base means it fits perfectly into cupholders and you gotta love a drinks container with a handle.

    There are two different ways of drinking from the tumbler, you can either use the straw or there’s a traditional opening that you can sip from. But let me tell you more about the straw. You see the straw is where you attach the scent pod to. It simply inserts over and down the straw to sit snugly on top of the tumbler lid. Which means when you drink, the scent is in prime position of those nostrils of yours. Et voilà – flavoured water!

    The tumbler holds 700ml of water, so basically you need to drink about 3 of these to hit your daily quota. And the double-wall vacuum insulation keeps water cold up to 24 hours, so in summer you’re sorted. Plus, you don’t need to stick to still water, you can also use sparkling water, which is great news if you’re a bit of a fizzy drinks fiend like me.

    It’s currently available in either creamy white or soft lilac both of which are the perfect pastel tones to match your summer outfits and to take away on holiday with you.

    From a mum’s point of view I want to know:

    • Can it go in the dishwasher?
    • Will it leak?
    • How long do the pods last?

    And the answer is yes it can go in the dishwasher, no it won’t leak, and the pods will flavour 15l of water so that’s about 20 tumblers’ worth. Happy days!

    The Air Up Twist Pro is the one my daughter chose. Not gonna lie, the second I told her I was doing an Air Up review she’d pretty much hopped on the website, chosen what she wanted, picked the colour, and before I knew it, it was a done deal. She went for the lavender colourway because I mean why wouldn’t you, look at it it’s lush. But there are 9 other different colour options to choose from, so there’s bound to be a colour on there that works for you.

    The bottle comes as either 600ml or 1000ml and you can also choose from Tritan or Steel versions. Like the tumbler, it is dishwasher safe and has a leak-proof design so you can bung it in your bag safe in the knowledge it won’t spill over any of your stuff. It also has a quick twist cap (hence the name Twist Pro) and a handy carry loop.

    Each bottle/tumbler comes with 3 flavour pods included in the price. In this instance we had Lemon-Lime Soda, Cherry, and Blue Raspberry. If you want different flavours you can buy pods in packs of individual flavours or as variety packs and there are 25 different flavours to choose from. My personal fave is the Virgin Mojito, because after giving up alcohol 20 months ago I am no stranger to a Virgin Mojito and this proper hits the spot.

    Now, if you want to get the best flavour from your Air Up the trick is to get water in your mouth first and then inhale. It took us a couple of go’s before figuring this out and at first my daughter was a little disappointed as she couldn’t taste anything other than water. But my advice is to persevere and you’ll get it. And when you do, you’ll know about it!

    The other thing I feel it’s important to mention is that this is just a gentle touch of flavour. A cola scented Air Up pod is never going to taste exactly like cola. There’s a bit of a texture thing going on as well. Like I know all liquids are liquids, but for instance fruit juice and squash feels different in the mouth to water. So you need to get your head around this when you first try it.

    Because the pods are scented, not flavoured, there’s no sugar or additives to worry about. The pods contain natural aromas from fruits, berries, herbs, and spices, which are blended together to create authentic tasting flavours. And it’s why Air Up can proudly state that they can give you the healthiest flavoured water out there… because it is just water

    Air Up Review – Final Thoughts

    Healthy flavoured water or just hype?

    Look, I know the cynics among you are probs thinking jeez why spend 30 odd quid on a water bottle when you can just bung some slices of fruit and sprigs of herb into a jug of ice cold water and get healthy flavoured water that way. But the fact is, most of us won’t bother to do that. I know from my own personal experience of being someone who doesn’t drink enough water that it’s a struggle to even remember to drink let alone be expected to add garnishes!

    Air Up have come up with a way for us to drink water that has a taste and I think that’s pretty remarkable. No calories, no nasties, just plain and simple water with some scentsational science.

    So, has it made me and my daughter drink more water? Well yeah it has as it happens. She regularly reaches for her Air Up bottle and because the scent pods are so easy to take on and off (you just need to remember to keep them sealed in between uses so they don’t lose their scent) she can easily switch between flavours depending what mood she’s in.

    And I am loving putting sparkling water in my tumbler. It kinda feels like I’m still getting the flavoured fizzy drinks I love, but without all the nasties.

    So bearing all that in mind, no I don’t think it’s hype. There are lots of very good reasons why I’m pleased Air Up has entered our lives. Here’s to a healthy and hydrated summer!

    *Products gifted for review.

    Do you have an Air Up bottle? If so I’d love to know your favourite flavour!

    You can comment and follow me on:

    Or leave me a friendly comment below.

    Author Bio

    Becky Stafferton is a full-time content creator, web publisher, and blogging coach. She continually strives to promote a realistic, sustainable and positive image of how to lead a healthy life. When she’s not writing she can be found running through muddy puddles, making lists of lists, having a good old moan, talking in funny voices to her dog, renovating her house in the country, and teaching others how to make money from their blogs.



  • Kevin O’Leary Advocates Entrepreneurship Over Consulting to Students: ‘Why Would Anybody Burn All Those Hours While Someone Else Makes Money?’

    Kevin O’Leary Advocates Entrepreneurship Over Consulting to Students: ‘Why Would Anybody Burn All Those Hours While Someone Else Makes Money?’



    Kevin O’Leary, the famed investor and star of “Shark Tank,” urged students at Harvard to forgo the traditional consulting route and instead establish their own businesses.

    What Happened: In his role as an Executive Fellow at the prestigious Ivy League school, O’Leary expressed his belief that dedicating two years to a consulting firm could result in a mediocre career.

    He suggested that consultants are often viewed as indecisive, which could hinder their professional growth.

    O’Leary, who is also the founder of the $4.2 billion company, SoftKey Software Products, is committed to motivating his students to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset. He acknowledged that his teaching method involves revealing some hard truths about the consulting sector.

    “Look, if you want to drift into hell on Earth, stay 24 months in a consulting firm and you are tainted meat for the rest of your life. No one’s going to hire you to make a decision because you never have made one,” O’Leary told Fortune.

    Also Read: Kevin O’Leary Told Student To Pick Business Over Fiancée: ‘She’s Easier To Replace’

    “Why would anybody burn all those hours while someone else makes money, and you do nothing of consequence? I respect all the consulting firms that are out there, but I’m going to do my best to keep people from going into that,” he added.

    Despite the appealing starting salaries ranging from $250,000 to $350,000, O’Leary cautioned that consultants frequently work long hours without creating anything of their own. He went on to say that consultants are unlikely to attain financial independence while working for someone else.

    O’Leary’s advice comes at a time when many students are grappling with career decisions. His emphasis on entrepreneurship over consulting reflects a broader trend in the business world, where innovation and self-starting are increasingly valued.

    His course, The Founder Mindset, could potentially shape the next generation of entrepreneurs, steering them away from traditional career paths and towards creating their own ventures.

    Read Next

    Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary Outraged Over Fine Against Donald Trump In NY Civil Fraud Case: ‘It’s Appalling. It’s Unjust … It’s Un-American’

    Image: Shutterstock/Vivvi Smak

  • Trump and Epstein: What was their relationship?

    Trump and Epstein: What was their relationship?


    Trump and Epstein: What was their relationship? A message calling on President Donald Trump to release all files related to Jeffrey Epstein is projected onto the US Chamber of Commerce building across from the White House in Washington, DC, on July 18, 2025. | Photo by Alex WROBLEWSKI / AFP

    A message calling on President Donald Trump to release all files related to Jeffrey Epstein is projected onto the US Chamber of Commerce building across from the White House in Washington, DC, on July 18, 2025. | Photo by Alex WROBLEWSKI / AFP

    WASHINGTON, United States — Donald Trump’s past ties with Jeffrey Epstein are under scrutiny after the US president slammed a Wall Street Journal report that he sent a lewd letter to the infamous sex offender as “fake news.”

    AFP looks at the pair’s relationship as the Trump administration also faces demands to release all government files on Epstein’s alleged crimes and his death.

    READ: ‘Epstein files’ explained: Why Trump is under pressure

    Parties and private jets

    Trump, then a property mogul and self-styled playboy, appears to have known Epstein, a wealthy money manager, since the 1990s.

    They partied together in 1992 with NFL cheerleaders at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, according to footage from NBC News, which shows the pair talking and laughing.

    The same year, Epstein was Trump’s only guest at a “calendar girl” competition he hosted involving more than two dozen young women, The New York Times reported.

    In a display of their close ties, Trump flew on Epstein’s private jet at least seven times during the 1990s, according to flight logs presented in court and cited by US media.

    He has denied this, and in 2024 said he was “never on Epstein’s plane.”

    In 1993, according to The New York Times, Trump allegedly groped swimsuit model Stacey Williams after Epstein introduced them at Trump Tower — a claim the president has refuted.

    Separate from his links to Epstein, Trump has been accused of sexual misconduct by around 20 women.

    In 2023, he was found liable of sexually abusing and defaming American journalist E. Jean Carroll in a civil trial.

    READ: Trump calls for MAGA base to end ‘Epstein Files’ obsession

    ‘Terrific guy’

    Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s main accusers who died by suicide this year, said she was recruited into his alleged sex-trafficking network aged 17 while working at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in 2000.

    Giuffre claimed she was approached there by Ghislaine Maxwell, who was jailed in 2022 for helping Epstein sexually abuse girls.

    Trump seemed to be on good terms with Epstein during this time, praising him as a “terrific guy” in a 2002 New York Magazine profile.

    “He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side,” Trump said.

    In 2003, according to a Wall Street Journal report, Trump penned a letter for Epstein’s 50th birthday featuring a drawing of a naked woman, with his signature “Donald” mimicking pubic hair.

    His apparent message — Trump dismissed the letter as a “fake thing” — read: “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”

    ‘I wasn’t a fan’

    The pair reportedly had a rupture in 2004 as they competed to buy a waterfront property in Florida, which Trump eventually snagged.

    The two men were hardly seen together in public from that point. Trump would later say in 2019 that they had a “falling out” and hadn’t spoken in 15 years.

    Shortly after the property auction, police launched a probe that saw Epstein jailed in 2008 for 13 months for soliciting an underage prostitute.

    He was arrested again in 2019 after he was accused of trafficking girls as young as 14 and engaging in sexual acts with them.

    Trump, then serving his first term as president, sought to distance himself from his old friend.

    “I wasn’t a fan,” he told reporters when the charges were revealed.

    In 2019, Epstein was found hanging dead in his prison cell awaiting trial. Authorities said he died by suicide.

    Since then, Trump has latched onto and fueled conspiracy theories that global elites including former president Bill Clinton were involved in Epstein’s crimes or death.

    Those same theories now threaten to destabilize Trump’s administration, despite his attempts to dismiss the saga as a “hoax” created by political adversaries.



    Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.



    Your subscription has been successful.

    Read Next

    Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.



  • What does market-leading cyber claims management look like? | Insurance Blog

    What does market-leading cyber claims management look like? | Insurance Blog


    Recently, many leading insurers have applied transformative solutions to enhance their cyber products. With the cyber insurance market projected to double to $29B by 2027, we explore what constitutes market-leading cyber claims management.  

    In this blog we’ll delve into the complexities of responding to cyber claims, the essential skills required by claims adjusters, and the measures insurers must take to achieve excellence in cyber claims management. 

    The complexity of cyber claims  

    The most comprehensive cyber coverage encompasses a broader range of perils than most other insurance products: 

    1. First-party coverages: This includes damage to devices, network damage, physical property damage, and damage to digital assets. It also covers damage to or theft of intangible assets, theft of funds, and costs associated with recovery, restoration, and remediation. Financial losses due to business interruption, lost business opportunities, reputational damage, ransomware, and extortion are also included. Additionally, expenses related to investigations, notifying affected third parties, and damage to intellectual property such as patents and trademarks are covered. 
    1. Third-party coverages: These coverages include contractual and legal liability, regulatory proceedings, and multimedia liability. They also encompass civil damages, compensation, payment card loss, errors and omissions, technology professional liability, miscellaneous professional liability, and network security and privacy liability. 

    When the policyholder of a comprehensive cyber product is a large multinational corporate business with both B2B and B2C customers, handling a potential large-scale claim becomes highly complex for claims adjusters. Cyber claims, akin to oil spillages, are catastrophic by nature, recognize no geographical boundaries, and are continuously evolving and unpredictable. Cyber breaches can critically impact businesses, societies, and essential national infrastructure, including hospitals, water and sewage systems, and airports. 

    The complexity, however, extends further. Cyber claims pose unique challenges to today’s claims adjusters due to the intricate technical nature of the claims, which involve IT systems, both tangible and intangible assets, cybersecurity protocols, digital forensics, and the constantly changing regulatory and legislative landscape concerning data protection, AI protection, and privacy law across all affected jurisdictions. 

    Furthermore, a cyber claims adjuster must be adept at instructing and managing a diverse group of specialists, ranging from IT forensic experts, data experts, and forensic accountants to credit monitoring experts, legal breach counsel, public relations experts, crisis management professionals, and ransomware attack experts. 

    The skills of a cyber claims adjuster 

    The skills of a cyber claims adjuster are multifaceted and require a detailed understanding of various aspects: 

    Knowledge Requirements: A cyber claims adjuster must possess advanced, industry-recognized qualifications and typically have a background in Errors & Omissions (E&O), Trade Credit, Political Risk, and/or Crisis Management. They need practical knowledge of applying first and third-party cyber coverages, reserving, evaluations, and risk management processes, usually gained from previous roles in cyber claims or broker advocacy. 

    Experience Requirements: The industry faces challenges due to a limited talent pool. It’s crucial for adjusters to understand the roles and responsibilities of various experts involved in cyber claims. Their practical experience is vital for effectively overseeing and managing these experts to ensure rapid response to claims, effective mitigation actions to prevent further losses, and complete resolution of claims. Cyber claims have grown in complexity and quantity, but many adjusters come from auxiliary lines of business. A key skill often missing is proficiency in IT systems, cybersecurity protocols, digital forensics, intangible assets, and a deep understanding of constantly evolving regulations and legislation across IT, AI, GDPR, and consumer privacy. This is particularly critical when insurance covers technology-based companies, where coverage is often bespoke and niche. 

    Operational Responsibilities: Adjusters must effectively determine the existence, cause, and scope of a breach and manage key activities in cyber claims management. This includes selecting and managing the appropriate incident response team, assessing ongoing or concluded breaches, evaluating the impact on the customer’s business and assessing breaches of cybersecurity protocols. It also covers responding in compliance with current data protection and privacy regulations, identifying and responding to fraud triggers, and providing feedback into underwriting risk controls and actuarial tables. 

    Customer Segment Knowledge: Proficient knowledge and experience with a range of customer segments, from SMEs to multinational and large corporate clients, are also essential for a cyber claims adjuster. Because Cyber is such a swiftly evolving product and still sub-scale to many other lines, insurers face the difficult question of whether to organize their Cyber claims team as a line of business CoE or whether to adhere to existing CoEs centred around SME, mid-market, multi-national clients etc. 

    Emerging risks and challenges 

    The task of determining the existence, cause, and scope of a breach is becoming increasingly complex due to the extensive coverage of cyber insurance, rapid technological and data platform evolution, the catastrophic and systemic risks associated with breaches, and the implications of Gen AI. Gen AI presents new opportunities and challenges, enhancing capabilities for both cyber attackers and defenders, leading to more sophisticated attacks almost daily.  

    The strategic choices to become market-leading in cyber claims  

    In conclusion, there are four key components to get right:  

    1. Insurers need a claims application that supports the adjusters in effective management of the incident response team and experts. The application needs to be fit-for-purpose for cyber, which means a comprehensive master data management to orchestrate the 100+ relevant cyber claims data points as well as an expert-specific permission access to documents.
    2. Insurers need a comprehensive and continuous development program to remain proficient in evolving cyber risk, technology changes and especially the opportunities and challenges that Gen AI represent. 
    3. Insurers need a comprehensive cyber saferoom that provides a secure space for pre-incident advice and training, incident response planning, notification services, etc. The saferoom must have the right guardrails that support collaboration with the independent legal breach counsel.
    4. Insurers need a continuous feedback-loop of claims master data that inform the actuarial tables and the risk controls in underwriting. Market-leading insurers achieve this with a scalable infrastructure and architecture, so that the technical pricing across all variables is informed in real-time based on loss history.  

     

  • How Much of My Social Security Benefits Is Taxable?

    How Much of My Social Security Benefits Is Taxable?


    [Updated on July 20, 2025 to include tax calculation with the $6,000 senior deduction from the 2025 Trump tax law.]

    Social Security benefits are 100% tax-free when your total income is low. As your total income goes up, you’ll pay federal income tax on a portion of the benefits while the rest of your Social Security income remains tax-free. This taxable portion goes up as your total income rises, but it will never exceed 85%. Even if your annual total income is $1 million, at least 15% of your Social Security benefits will stay tax-free.

    The new 2025 Trump tax law created a $6,000 senior deduction, but it didn’t change anything in how Social Security is taxed. See Social Security Is Still Taxed Under the New 2025 Trump Tax Law. This calculator has been updated to include the new $6,000 senior deduction.

    Taxation of Social Security Benefits

    The IRS has a somewhat complex formula to determine how much of your Social Security is taxable and how much of it is tax-free. The formula first calculates a combined income that consists of half of your benefit plus your other income, such as withdrawals from your retirement accounts, interest, dividends, and capital gains. It also adds any tax-exempt interest from muni bonds.

    This income is then reduced by above-the-line deductions such as deductible contributions to Traditional IRAs, SEP-IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, HSAs, deductible self-employment tax, and self-employment health insurance. Finally, this provisional income goes through some thresholds based on your tax filing status (Married Filing Jointly or Single/Head of Household). All of these steps are in Worksheet 1 in IRS Publication 915.

    Calculator

    You can go through the 19 steps in the worksheet to calculate the amount of Social Security benefits that will be taxable, but the worksheet isn’t the easiest to use. I made an online calculator that helps you calculate it much more quickly. It only needs three numbers plus your age and tax filing status. You’ll have your answer with the click of a button.

    The calculator works for all types of Social Security benefits. It doesn’t matter whether you’re receiving Social Security retirement benefits, disability benefits, spousal benefits, or survivor benefits as a widow or widower. It doesn’t matter whether you’re receiving your full Social Security benefits, or you’re getting reduced benefits because you claimed early, or you’re getting the maximum benefit because you waited until age 70.

    The calculator works for both a single person and a married couple filing a joint return. If you’re married and both of you are receiving Social Security, include both your benefit and your spouse’s benefit, and both your income and your spouse’s income.

    If you’re on Medicare, the Social Security Administration automatically deducts the Medicare premium from your Social Security benefits. You need to use the “gross” Social Security benefits before deducting the Medicare premium, and it should be an annual number, not monthly. You can find this number on your Social Security benefit statement or your Form SSA-1099.

    It only applies to federal taxes though. State taxes don’t necessarily follow the same rules as the federal government. Different states have different rules on taxing Social Security benefits. Some states don’t tax Social Security benefits.

    Tax Filing Status:
    I’m 65+ by 12/31
    Spouse (if filing jointly) is 65+ by 12/31
    Social Security benefits (gross, annual):
    All other income (wages, pension, IRA withdrawals, Roth conversion, dividends, capital gains, interest, including tax-exempt muni bond interest, …):
    Above-the-line deductions. These include deductible contributions to HSA, traditional IRA, SEP-IRA, and SIMPLE IRA, and deductible self-employment tax and self-employment health insurance. Most retirees don’t have these.

    The calculated tax amount assumes that all your other income besides Social Security is fully taxable, and you take only the standard deduction and the senior deduction when eligible. It doesn’t consider lower tax rates on qualified dividends and long-term capital gains, or tax-exempt muni bond interest. Your tax may be lower if you have those, or if you donate to charities or have large itemized deductions.

    If you don’t quite trust my calculator, you can double-check against the official calculator from the IRS. The IRS calculator isn’t as easy to use. It gives the same result for the taxable amount at the end, but it doesn’t include the tax estimate.

    Taxable Does Not Necessarily Mean Paying Taxes

    The calculator shows the taxable portion of your Social Security benefits. Having a taxable amount only means it will be included as part of your gross income on your tax return. It does not necessarily mean you’ll pay taxes.

    Your gross income is still subject to your normal standard or itemized deductions to arrive at your taxable income. You still pay in your normal tax brackets of 10%, 12%, 22%, etc., on the taxable income. 50% or 85% of your benefits being taxable doesn’t mean you’ll lose 50% or 85% of your Social Security to taxes. The actual tax on your benefits is much less. The tax may be zero after applying deductions.

    When more than 15% of your Social Security is tax-free, additional income outside Social Security will make more of your Social Security benefits taxable, lowering that number toward 15%. Some people call this a tax torpedo, but it’s a misleading term. It gives you the impression that Social Security is taxed more heavily than other income, which is not true. You still pay lower taxes than other people with the same income. See why that’s the case in An Unusually High Marginal Tax Rate Means Paying Lower Taxes.

    Say No To Management Fees

    If you are paying an advisor a percentage of your assets, you are paying 5-10x too much. Learn how to find an independent advisor, pay for advice, and only the advice.

    Find Advice-Only