(NewsUSA) - Let’s face it, a cracked windshield or shattered window never comes at a good time. Between work, errands, and upcoming holiday travel, most people just want to get it fixed fast… without stretching their budget.

That’s exactly why Auto Glass Now offers Buy Now, Pay Later through Zip; a flexible payment option that lets eligible customers take care of their auto glass needs right away, and split the cost into installments over time.

Shop with Confidence: Flexible Payments and a Price Match Guarantee

Because life happens. And sometimes, so do cracked windshields!

With a Buy Now, Pay Later option, Auto Glass Now is making it easier for customers to say “yes” to the repairs they need without worrying about paying the full amount upfront.  If you’re managing a tight budget or facing added holiday expenses, Auto Glass Now is here to keep you safe on the road without the extra financial burden.

To use Buy Now, Pay Later with Auto Glass Now, simply get your quote, schedule your service and download the Zip app to create a profile. At the time of your appointment, your total invoice will be split into equal payments over time.  Whether you're dealing with a full windshield replacement or a quick chip repair, you can apply at checkout or in advance by downloading the Zip app and setting up your account after approval.

Auto Glass Now also has a Price Match Guarantee policy that ensures you always get the best price on your auto glass services, so you can book with confidence, knowing you're getting great value. Combined with flexible payment options like Buy Now, Pay Later, it’s never been easier  to get the services you need without compromising safety.

Auto Glass Now is committed to supporting customers at every stage of their journey. The company offers same-day or next-day appointments, along with the option of in-shop or mobile service, providing convenience and flexibility to meet individual needs. Auto Glass Now accept all insurance providers and even help you navigate the claim process, taking the stress off your plate.     

At the end of the day, Auto Glass Now isn’t just fixing your glass, they’re making sure you’re taken care of from start to finish, on your time, not anyone else’s.

Whether you’ve been putting off that windshield crack or just had an unexpected break, now’s the time to take care of it. With their price match guarantee and Buy Now, Pay Later program, Auto Glass Now helps you get the job done without breaking the bank.

Ready to get started? Visit https://www.autoglassnow.com/online-estimate/ for a free quote today!

For more information, visit www.zip.co
Loans through Zip are originated by WebBank.

(NewsUSA) - “Slices of Life: A Comic Montage” by Qu

This masterful collection of comics features universal vignettes that examine the small moments in life, reveling in all its quiet beauty. Originally created as the author's thesis project for her MFA in Illustration Practice at MICA, this collection of insightful and subtly magnificent silent comics is now being brought to English readers, as it has previously only been published in China. This edition of “Slices of Life” not only features sublime comics that inspect and reflect the majesty of everyday life, but will also include behind-the-scenes backmatter presenting Qu's journey and artistic process.

Readers are saying Qu is “one of the best contemporary cartoonists to pay attention to” with her “elegant, gorgeously rendered style.” Early readers call the collection “peaceful … yet hilarious,” praising it as a “deeply nostalgic” tribute to what makes “life worth loving” and “all the little moments that are magical and worth slowing down to celebrate.”

Purchase at https://bit.ly/3LsvpeO.

“From Doctor to Healer” by Erica M. Elliott, M.D.

In this final volume of her memoir trilogy, Dr. Erica Elliott begins her medical training as an enthusiastic, wide-eyed student but soon becomes a disillusioned doctor, sick from toxic chemicals at the clinic where she works. This health catastrophe, followed by a near-fatal accident and the harrowing, experimental brain surgery that saved her life, forces Erica off the path of mainstream medicine and onto a path that leads to her profound healing, along with the profound healing of her patients. Now, more than half a century after a Navajo grandmother offered a prophecy about her life, Erica fulfills it in ways she never could have imagined.

“From Doctor to Healer” follows on the heels of her first two groundbreaking memoirs, which followed her time serving the Navajo people as a young school teacher and as a medical doctor (“Medicine and Miracles in the High Desert”) and her later decade-long odyssey in search of her life’s purpose (“From Mountains to Medicine”).

Purchase at https://amzn.to/47X0DU8.

“Maya, Dead and Dreaming” by Lana Sabarwal

A sleepy town. A precocious girl. A drizzly night. A chilling death that makes no sense at all.

June 1938: Popular teenager Maya Hickman is found dead in a shallow creek, leaving the sleepy town of Shogie, Washington, shocked and baffled. Fourteen years later, Maya begins haunting the dreams of her childhood friend and quiet Indian immigrant, Munna Dhingra, just as an anonymous letter arrives musing “Why Maya Had to Die.”

Stalked by guilt and desperate to prevent more deaths, Munna befriends Karenina — a fiendishly brilliant psychoanalyst — and together, the two unravel a web of jealousy, betrayal and forbidden relationships within a tight-knit community desperate to cling to its veneer of tranquility. But every secret uncovered leads to more questions and every step forward heightens a sense of encroaching dread. Will they find out in time... why Maya had to die?

Agatha Christie meets “Gone Girl" in a 1950s small town.

Purchase at https://amzn.to/3ScYX0i.

“If Today You Hear His Voice” by Irene Lynch

Throughout our rich and inspiring Catholic history, many saints have proclaimed to have had a conversation with Christ or the Blessed Mother. I believe that everyone can hear the voice of God! He is as alive and involved in our lives today as He was when He walked the earth over two thousand years ago! God wants a loving relationship with each one of us. I believe that through the Holy Spirit, God prompted me to write this book. My complete trust in His endless love and mercy has given me blessings beyond my greatest dreams. My prayer is for you to seek God in all things, walk with Him in your life journey, and listen to His voice. Come walk with me and let me show you how!!

Purchase at https://amzn.to/3LlGnTs.

(NewsUSA) - November is Prematurity Awareness Month, a time to focus on the more than 380,000 babies born too early in the U.S. each year. For families whose little one arrives weeks or months earlier than expected, understanding advances in premature infant nutrition can help reduce complications during the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) journey.

Feeding Preemies Better 

For the smallest, most fragile preemies, nutritional advances over the past two decades have dramatically improved health outcomes. Today, babies born as early as 22 weeks can not only survive, they can thrive.

Premature babies need 20-40% more calories and protein than full-term babies. This is why doctors often add something called a nutritional “fortifier” to mom’s breastmilk or donor milk to provide the extra nutrition these babies need for healthy growth and development.

There are two types of fortifiers available: cow milk-based and breastmilk-based. In the U.S., both are labeled "human milk fortifiers," however only those from Prolacta Bioscience are made from 100% donor breastmilk, free from cow milk and corn syrup. This difference can be life-changing, especially for babies born weighing 2.75 pounds or less. Studies spanning the past two decades have shown that cow milk-based fortifiers increase the risk of serious complications, including necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a potentially fatal intestinal disease.

Knowledge Drives Real Change

Multiple studies show fragile preemies fed fortifiers made from donor breastmilk have better outcomes, fewer complications, and shorter hospital stays, compared to preemies fed cow milk-based products.   

What preemies are fed in the NICU doesn’t just matter today — it impacts tomorrow’s milestones. Most recently, an independent study evaluated the association between an exclusive human milk diet and motor function impairment at 3 years of corrected age. Read more about the published findings.

This is why leading advocates for premature infants and their families, such as the National Black Nurses Association, Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, NICU Parent Network, Project NICU, Once Upon a Preemie Inc., and many others support the adoption of breastmilk-based nutrition in the NICU for the smallest, most fragile preemies, particularly to address health disparities.  

Access to nutritional options can help reduce these disparities and improve outcomes for all premature babies, regardless of their background. Recent data points to the preterm birth rate among Black babies as 1.5 times higher than the rate among all other babies, and the infant death rate of Black babies is nearly twice the national average, according to the March of Dimes.

Parents Have a Choice in the NICU

This year alone, more than half of the Level 3 & 4 NICUs in the U.S. have used 100% breastmilk-based fortifiers for their smallest patients. If your baby is in a NICU that doesn’t provide this option, talk to your care team. Hospitals nationwide can order Prolacta’s breastmilk-based fortifiers for overnight delivery, even if they don't routinely offer them. Knowing your options helps ensure your baby gets the nutrition they need to grow strong and thrive. Use your voice, since your little one can’t use theirs.

(Mitch Jelniker) - Veterans face higher lung cancer risk from military exposures. Early screening and clinical trials save lives. Honor their service this month.

America’s heroes risked everything to protect our freedom, yet many remain unprotected from one of the deadliest threats they face at home: lung cancer. A simple, painless scan, a low-dose CT, can detect lung cancer early, when it’s most treatable. But despite its proven power to save lives, far too few Veterans are getting screened.

For those who served, this gap isn’t just a statistic; it’s deeply personal. Military service can mean exposure to asbestos, burn pits, radon, and other toxic substances that dramatically increase lung cancer risk. The Department of Veterans Affairs has committed to identifying and screening Veterans at risk, yet thousands still go without this potentially lifesaving test.

Let's ensure that “thank you for your service” also means protecting their health.

Air Force and Navy Veteran Donnita Butler knows firsthand the critical importance of early detection. A routine low-dose CT scan caught her cancer early, and she credits screening with saving her life.

“It’s a simple test that gave me more time,” says Butler. “I tell every Veteran I meet: if you qualify, get screened. It can save your life, too.”

Now, Butler is helping to lead a new mission to inspire others to participate in cutting-edge blood-based research that could revolutionize cancer detection. 

Scientists are developing simple blood tests that may one day identify lung cancer and other cancers through a single vial of blood.

These next-generation tests rely on biomarkers, which are molecular “fingerprints” from tumor cells circulating in the blood, that can also guide personalized treatments, including targeted therapies and immunotherapies that are more effective and less toxic than traditional chemotherapy.

Veterans are once again at the forefront, volunteering for clinical trials that are accelerating this research. 

“Our Veterans are heroes in more ways than one,” says Dr. Drew Moghanaki, Chief of Thoracic Oncology at UCLA Health’s Department of Radiation Oncology. “By participating in studies and screenings, they’re not only protecting their own health but helping advance science for everyone.” 

Dr. Moghanaki and Donnita Butler are partnering with Lung Cancer Foundation of America (LCFA) through its Breath of Honor program, an initiative dedicated to increasing lung cancer screening among Veterans and raising awareness of clinical research opportunities. Together, they’re spreading the message that early action can mean the difference between life and loss.

“Tomorrow’s treatments are available today through screening and clinical trials,” says Dr. Moghanaki. “Veterans deserve access to both.”

Learn more to find out if you qualify for lung cancer screening, explore clinical trial opportunities, or learn more about LCFA's Breath of Honor program, visit LCFAmerica.org.

About LCFA

LCFA is dedicated to dramatically improving survival rates and quality of life for people diagnosed with lung cancer. Through funding innovative research, amplifying patient stories, and raising awareness, LCFA brings hope to the millions impacted by the world’s deadliest cancer. Learn more at lcfamerica.org.

(NewsUSA) - As the holiday lights go up and the to-do lists grow, parents everywhere are navigating a season that should feel joyful, but all too often doesn’t. According to KinderCare Learning Companies 2025 Parent Confidence Index, six in ten parents surveyed say, “I feel overwhelmed by the demands of being a parent.”

That’s a clear signal: parenting, even during the season of cheer, can feel like a pressure cooker. 

Here are five mindful strategies to help parents protect their mental health through the holidays, and one way KinderCare is stepping in to offer a meaningful gift for parents.

1. Trim the expectation tree

We often bring to the season an idea of “perfect” traditions, picture-worthy moments and magic. But the pressure to hit that mark is heavy. Give yourself permission to let some things slide. Try prioritizing one meaningful activity rather than every option on the list.

2. Schedule a pause

Between school concerts, errands, social obligations and caring for little ones, the days blur. Carving out even 15 minutes of quiet, such as coffee alone, a short walk or a few mindful breaths, can shift the tone. Treat this pause like an appointed meeting you can’t skip.
And if you can delegate some household tasks: ask a partner, family member or friend to give you a break.

3. Connect with your “village”

It’s not just you. More than half of parents say their friends’ mental health worries them. That means you’re part of a collective experience. Reach out to another parent, share the real talk and lean in together. A short check-in call, or even a quick group text chat, can help you realize you’re not alone.

4. Frame “good enough” as the new perfect

Holiday cards show smiling families; social media posts show ideal tablescapes. But behind the scenes, late bedtimes, meltdowns and mismatched socks are still real and still ok. When you accept that “good enough” is enough, you reduce your mental load. Your children don’t need you to be perfect. They just need you to be engaged, present and calm.

5. Gift yourself the gift of time

Arguably, the best gift you can offer yourself (and your children) is time. Time to recharge, time to reset, time to show up as your best self. That’s why KinderCare Learning Companies is offering something meaningful for busy families: a day of free care at select KinderCare Learning Center locations and Crème Schools nationwide now through December 31. This offer gives parents breathing room, whether to shop for and wrap gifts, finish tasks, rest, or simply enjoy being present.

A final holiday mantra

“Self-care is parenting care.” By protecting your own mental health, you’re actually giving your children a more grounded, peaceful parental presence, which means richer memories, more genuine joy and less invisible stress. With simpler expectations, intentional pauses, connection to fellow parents, acceptance of “good enough,” and that invaluable gift of time, you can steer your holiday season toward something heartfelt and sustainable.

Because beneath the glitter and hustle, what truly matters is presence. Peace. A parent who feels okay, rather than frantic.

(NewsUSA) - As the holiday season approaches, millions of children across America face the prospect of waking up to nothing on Christmas morning. Their families, struggling with financial hardship, simply cannot afford toys or gifts. But thanks to Toys for Tots, led by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, hope arrives for these children—one toy at a time.

Since 1947, Toys for Tots has reached over 314 million children in need. In 2024 alone, the Program distributed over 30 million toys, books, and games to nearly 13 million disadvantaged children across all 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The mission is simple yet powerful: collect new, unwrapped toys and distribute them to children in need so that every child has at least one gift to open under their Christmas tree. Local Toys for Tots Chapters operate in nearly 900 communities nationwide, powered by Marines, civilian Coordinators, dedicated volunteers, generous Corporate Partners, and citizens like you who believe that every child deserves to experience the magic of Christmas.

The need for support is even more critical this year as families face unprecedented financial pressures, and local chapters are working tirelessly. Every donation—big or small—helps build a brighter holiday for children in need.

In California, a mystery has unfolded for nearly a decade that reminds us what is possible when generosity becomes a way of life.

For the past seven Novembers, two Marine Corps trucks have arrived at Geppetto’s Toys in Carlsbad, CA, and they leave filled to capacity with over $100,000 worth of toys—all purchased by a single anonymous donor. The Marines don’t know him. The toy store staff members don’t know him. Even Toys for Tots doesn’t know him. His identity remains a secret. He doesn't seek recognition. He simply wants to carve out moments of joy for children who might otherwise wake up to nothing on Christmas morning.

This quiet benefactor has already donated more than $750,000 in toys. That's not just a number—it's thousands of children experiencing the magic of unwrapping a gift. It's the light in a parent's eyes knowing their child will experience joy this Christmas.

What makes this story so powerful isn't the dollar amount, but the principle behind it. This Secret Santa gives not for acclaim, but because he believes every child deserves to feel the wonder of Christmas. He embodies a simple truth: giving is its own reward.

But what matters even more is that this donor isn’t alone. Across America, countless donors—known and unknown—are writing their own stories of generosity through Toys for Tots. Some donate a single toy. Others organize drives at their workplaces. Some volunteer their time sorting and distributing gifts. Each act of giving, regardless of size, joins with others to create something magical: a nationwide movement ensuring no child is forgotten.

Toys for Tots fulfills its mission because people like you choose to make a difference. You don't need to fill two Marine trucks or donate $100,000 to change a child's Christmas. You just need to care enough to act. One toy. One book. One game. One act of kindness that says to a child: "You matter. You are seen. You are loved."

This holiday season, please know that anyone, anywhere, can help Toys for Tots deliver hope, one toy at a time.

Visit www.toysfortots.org today to learn how you can help keep the magic alive this year.

(NewsUSA) - A Michigan university unveils SOAR^™, a new smartphone-based degree program that brings college within reach for busy adults — at half the cost.

For millions of adults, finishing college was never about ability — it was about circumstances. Jobs, family responsibilities and rising tuition costs often forced higher education onto the back burner.

About 750 adults leave college every day in the United States. Most don’t fail academically; they simply run out of time, money, or both. For those who still dream of completing their degrees, the barriers can feel insurmountable.

That’s where the SOAR™ by Cornerstone University app comes in. 

Launched in 2025, SOAR is the nation’s first fully accredited bachelor’s degree designed to be completed entirely on a smartphone. The program currently offers a Bachelor of Science in strategic business management, preparing students with leadership and business skills employers consistently demand.

SOAR stands out for three reasons. It’s half the cost of the average accredited business degree, making it one of the most affordable in the nation. It’s flexible, with new classes starting every two weeks and lessons delivered in short, smartphone-ready modules so students can learn on the go. And it’s respected, carrying full accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission.

For adults in the workforce, that means finishing a degree without stepping away from their jobs or families. For many parents, SOAR also removes the difficult choice between investing in their children’s tuition and finally finishing their own. With radically affordable tuition, both become possible.

“For too long, adults who wanted to go back to school were forced to choose between their education and their responsibilities,” said Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño, president of Cornerstone University. “SOAR was built to remove those barriers — it’s a degree that works with your life, not against it.”

Take Alicia, a single mom in Michigan who enrolled this year. “I like to SOAR when I’m getting ready in the morning and driving to work,” she said. “I often log into the SOAR app after dinner when my little one is settled or in bed.”

Her story reflects the core mission of SOAR. It makes higher education accessible to those who thought the door had closed.

With looming retirements creating leadership gaps in the workforce, programs like SOAR aren’t just helping individuals — they’re preparing the next generation of business leaders. And this is just the start. New disciplines and advanced degrees are already in development, expanding options for learners who wish to continue their studies beyond a bachelor’s degree.

For adults ready to reclaim their dream of finishing college, SOAR offers a path forward: half the cost, fully accredited, and designed for real life.

Learn more about SOAR^™ by Cornerstone University at go.cornerstone.edu/SOAR1.

(K12) - It’s testing season—and students are feeling the pressure. Between midterms, SATs, coursework, and activities, staying focused and confident can be a real challenge.  

Today’s students have access to a new kind of test prep helper: AI. On its own, AI can be a smart study tool, offering personalized quizzes, instant feedback, and tailored plans. But what’s missing is the human touch—the kind that understands when a student’s losing steam, feeling stuck, or needs a pep talk. That’s where a tutor makes all the difference. AI may be smart and responsive, but it can’t replace the encouragement and insight of a real person. 

Used together, AI and tutors can make studying more effective. The key is knowing how to balance them. AI can create practice tests and recognize learning patterns, while a tutor uses that information to personalize instruction and keep students motivated. Here are a few ways to help your child use both resources this testing season: 

Build a schedule with AI.

AI can build a personalized plan with review days, quizzes, and rest time, just by sharing your test date, topic, and preferred study hours. You can even upload the syllabus or study guide to further customize a plan. 

Create practice tests.

Some AI tools can generate full-length exams with multiple choice, essay, and short-answer questions that may closely match the style of the real test. Whether it’s the SAT or a midterm, the more details you give, the better the results. 

Look for trends.

Ask AI to identify patterns in practice results, including repeated misconceptions, errors, or weak spots in written answers. 

Bring AI data to your tutor.

A tutor can use these insights to personalize instruction and feedback. They can focus on the areas that need improvement and check in along the way to ensure your student is following along. Encourage your child to ask questions that deepen understanding and make tutoring an active learning experience. 

Repeat 

Between tutoring sessions, AI can be used to practice the concepts your child needs the most help with. 

If your child doesn’t yet have a tutor, now is a great time to find the right match. Whether you choose a private tutor, a tutoring center, or a virtual option like K12 Tutoring, combining AI with expert support creates a powerful test prep program that helps your student face testing season with confidence and ease. 

(NewsUSA) - Plus, meet the new Rich Cream with newly formulated RoC Retinol 7x more effective than standard Retinol

When it comes to turning back the clock, there's a reason every dermatologist, editor, and skincare-obsessed friend has the same answer: retinol. It’s the gold standard—the undisputed heavyweight champion of wrinkle-fighting—and for over 25 years, one brand has been leading the charge, earning the title of America’s #1 most awarded Retinol¹: RoC Skincare.

Back when retinol stability was a serious challenge (it's a notoriously difficult ingredient, degrading the second it hits light or air!), RoC achieved a monumental breakthrough. They cracked the code on keeping this powerhouse ingredient effective. By mastering stabilization through rigorous formulation, packaging and processing efforts, and validating via clinical trials, they didn't just innovate; they made the skincare ingredient of the century accessible for your daily routine. Now with 35+ patents and more than 25 million units sold², RoC stands on a legacy that continues to lead the anti-aging revolution.

"The reason retinol is the gold standard is simple: it works. It signals skin cells to renew themselves, effectively 'turning back the clock' on a cellular level,” says Dermatologist Dr. Trisha Khanna, MD, FAAD. “I constantly recommend RoC Retinol to my patients who are looking for visible results without the typical dryness and irritation, and am always excited to celebrate National Retinol Day with the original retinol brand!”

Beyond the Hype: The Clinically Proven Reasons We’re Loving RoC’s New Cream

In honor of the fifth annual National Retinol Day, RoC is pulling back the curtain on its newest skincare superstar, Deep Wrinkle Rich Cream. Created in partnership with top dermatologists, this cream isn't just about wrinkles—it’s a targeted solution for three top skin stressors we face as we age:

1. Persistent Dryness: That dull, desert-like feeling is the first sign of an unhappy skin barrier.
2. Deep Wrinkles: The ones that hang around, even when you aren't smiling.
3. Loss of Firmness: The frustrating slip-and-slide feeling when you wish things were a little more... lifted.

This powerhouse cream goes beyond traditional retinol. It’s formulated with patented RoC Retinol, which is clinically proven to be 7x more effective than standard Retinol, delivering faster results and continued improvement even after one year of use. It’s a complete revitalization system, supercharged with bioceramides and calcium to deeply hydrate, strengthen your skin's architecture, and deliver that firming power you usually have to book an in-office appointment for. Consider it the ultimate luxury treatment (but available for under $30!) that works while you sleep.

Quick Guide: The Rest of the Must-Have RoC Retinol Line

If you're already obsessed with the brand's classic Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Collection, here’s a refresher on the products that deserve a spot on your vanity:

Line Smoothing Eye Cream

The ultimate defense for the delicate eye area.

Why you need it now: It combines retinol with a mineral complex to specifically tackle the 3 visible signs of eye aging: crow’s feet, puffiness, and dark circles. bright eyes in minutes!

Line Smoothing Night Serum Capsules

Retinol at its freshest—sealed for maximum potency.

Why you need it now: These capsules protect a lightweight serum from air and light, giving you a visibly fresher, smoother-skin glow by morning.

Line Smoothing Max Hydration Cream

The gentle giant of retinol.

Why you need it now: This genius formula improves lines with a time-release mechanism that delivers continuous retinol for up to 12 hours while infusing skin with plumping hyaluronic acid. Goodbye irritation, hello smooth, moisturized skin!

Find the new Deep Wrinkle Rich Cream on Amazon, and discover the full line for smoother, younger-looking skin.

¹Based on a 3rd party study using publicly available data sources from publications and media sources hosting beauty awards since 2010
²RoC internal unit sales data 12/31/18-10/26/25

(NewsUSA) - Obscure lawsuits don’t just hurt corporations—they can hit consumers’ wallets and limit their choices.

Walk through almost any living room in America, and you’ll find a small miracle of engineering: a smart TV that streams your favorite shows, connects to Wi-Fi, syncs with your phone and updates itself overnight. What most people do not see is the battle behind the screen, where a troubling type of lawsuit can quietly push up the price of that TV or slow the release of new features by making it harder for companies to compete.

These cases often come from entities that are commonly known as patent trolls. Patent trolls don’t invent things or make products but exist solely to pursue lawsuits related to patents they buy. Patent troll litigation costs US firms an estimated $29 billion annually in direct legal expenses, and approximately $60 billion when accounting for lost firm value and diverted resources. Patent troll litigation surged 22% from 2023 to 2024 alone, making it a growing issue for American business.

The effect of this legal warfare doesn’t stop at the boardroom. It affects supply chains and, ultimately, the consumers buying the products. Think of it as a hidden tax on consumer technology. Money that could go to researching better features or making the products less expensive instead gets diverted to paying legal bills. A product that could have shipped this spring slips to the fall—or launches with fewer features. Over time, those delays and costs show up in higher prices and fewer choices at the store.

Patent trolls have been at work for decades. But now, in a new twist, patent trolls are being hired to file lawsuits against others in the industry. The aim isn’t to defend a real invention, but to make it harder for rivals by driving up legal costs, scaring off customers, delaying product launches, or pushing for monetary settlements. This puts more pressure on the price of everyday technology products.

Americans are noticing. A recent national poll shows many respondents see the connection between frivolous litigation and the prices they pay. According to the survey, 82% of those surveyed say they are concerned that patent abuse could lead to higher prices and supply chain disruptions for products made for U.S. consumers. Three in four Americans (73%) say they would be more likely to support companies that take a stand against patent trolls.

The same poll shows bipartisan concern about the effects of this kind of abuse in the US legal system. 90% agree that the U.S. must ensure a fair legal playing field so smaller companies can innovate and compete without fear of costly, frivolous lawsuits. And a clear majority said lawmakers should act to curb these kinds of lawsuits and strengthen transparency requirements around who is behind them.

State leaders are also taking notice and acting. In the past year, 15 governors from both parties have signed new laws aimed at curbing frivolous patent lawsuits, and more than thirty states nationwide have taken steps to discourage abuse by patent trolls.

Analysts say growing public attention to this issue reflects a broader concern about affordability and competition in the tech sector. Industry observers note that when companies use litigation as a competitive strategy, prices can rise, product improvements can take longer to reach the market, and smaller innovators—the firms that often drive new breakthroughs—can lose ground. Those effects can extend beyond technology companies, influencing local job growth, supply-chain stability, and U.S. competitiveness in global markets.

While the technology inside consumer electronics continues to advance, many Americans wonder if that innovation will remain affordable. Lawmakers and industry experts are weighing how best to ensure the legal system’s protections for genuine inventors, while discouraging tactics that use the courts to impede progress. They note that when litigation is used to block competition rather than defend ideas, it can lead to higher prices, fewer options and slower progress in the products consumers rely on every day.