(NewsUSA) - Too many women and men with painful gut symptoms are ignored and belittled, even though gut-brain disorders affect 40 percent of Americans.

Dr. Douglas Drossman is a world-renowned gastroenterologist and psychiatrist, and Johannah Ruddy is a patient educator and advocate. Together, they are the authors of three books on Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBI) in which readers will get answers to their own important health questions, learn to take charge of their health, and make positive changes.

Their first book, GUT FEELINGS: Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction and the Patient-Doctor Relationship, details Ruddy’s arduous, 10-year health journey and how she faced disbelief and even mockery by the medical establishment as she desperately sought help. The physician who finally helped Ruddy was Dr. Drossman. This book is also a primer to explain and categorize DGBI and introduce training in communication skills to optimize the patient-provider relationship.

The second book, GUT FEELINGS: The Patient’s Story— Personal Accounts of the Illness Journey takes readers into the patient’s world through their narrative accounts of struggling with their illness experience and messages on how they achieved recovery or adaptation under Dr. Drossman’s care.

The recently released third book in the trilogy, GUT FEELINGS: Doctors and Patient-Centered Care, contains the stories of providers. It gives the narratives of 14 caregivers who are experts in delivering patient-centered, compassionate care for patients with DGBI.

This new book GUT FEELINGS: Doctors and Patient-Centered Care, builds upon our understanding of DGBIs, how these disorders affect real people, and what doctors can do to truly help these patients. And it all begins with educated patients and empathetic doctors willing to partner in the care.

“It takes a special kind of person to ‘swim upstream’ and work in a discipline not fully understood and even disparaged by teachers and peers in medicine and gastroenterology,” says Dr. Drossman. “We need to understand those individuals. Accordingly, we have selected 14 scientists and providers in neurogastroenterology that excel in providing compassionate care to patients with DGBI and even enjoy working with them. The authors we selected are leaders in this emerging field.”

The GUT FEELINGS trilogy is an expertly sourced exploration of the little-known relationship between the brain and the gut. Each volume of GUT FEELINGS stands on its own, but reading all three delivers the greatest impact for understanding these disorders and learning how to care for these patients. It also explores how to improve medicine in general by raising awareness of the mind-body connection and the advantages of making this holistic viewpoint part of the national health conversation.

“Hope is something that is very difficult to come by when you are plagued with a chronic illness for which no test results seem to confirm a diagnosis, and DGBIs fall into this category,” writes Don W. Powell, MD, Professor Emeritus Internal Medicine/Gastroenterology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, in the book’s Foreword. “Patients with DGBIs are frequently misdiagnosed or, worse, dismissed entirely by doctors. That’s why GUT FEELINGS was literally a life-changing experience for me. Like millions of Americans, for many years I have been suffering from what turned out to be a DGBI. The book put me on a path toward managing my illness.”

To learn more, visit https://www.gutfeelings.org/.

(NewsUSA) - In the ongoing battle against COVID-19, vaccines have been successful in helping to reduce illness and contributing to the declining numbers of infections in the U.S. and around the world. But COVID-19 is not gone, and it remains a significant threat. Those with weakened immune systems, chronic illnesses and other risk factors are particularly vulnerable to severe illness from the virus.

While vaccines are still the best first defense against COVID-19, antiviral treatments have emerged as another powerful tool to help fight the virus and protect those who face greater risk of severe illness and hospitalization from COVID-19.

Who’s at Risk?

Millions of Americans face a higher risk of developing severe COVID-19, and many may not even know it. Being age 50 or over, or having a host of common health conditions including cancer, asthma, diabetes, heart disease, and weakened immune systems can make someone more likely to experience severe COVID-19 symptoms.

Treatments Are Available

The good news is that, for many of those at high risk who become infected with COVID-19 and have mild to moderate symptoms, antivirals can be a safe and effective treatment option. Antivirals work by helping to stop the virus from making copies of itself. This can help limit the spread of the virus inside the body — minimizing the severity of symptoms and the duration of the illness.

The need for speed is a fundamental principle underlying antiviral treatments for COVID-19. When someone at high risk becomes infected with COVID-19, the virus can spread rapidly within their body, which can cause severe respiratory problems and complications. This is where antiviral treatments may be able to help. Treatment with COVID-19 antivirals is most effective if it starts within the first five to seven days that the first COVID-19 symptoms appear.

But antivirals are not for everyone. They are not recommended for people who are younger, healthy and not at high risk of getting severely ill due to COVID-19, and there are certain health conditions and medications that are known to cause adverse reactions with antiviral treatments. Talk with a healthcare provider to know if an antiviral treatment is an option.

Plan Ahead

For anyone at high risk for severe COVID-19, acting quickly when infection happens, and planning ahead will be key to getting the treatment they may need. Begin by planning:

• Making a list of current medications,
• Talking with a healthcare provider to understand the risk for severe COVID-19 and discuss potential treatment options, and
• Creating a plan to get tested and begin treatment at the first sign of a COVID-19 infection and before the 5–7-day window of opportunity closes.

Why Speed Matters

• Stop the Virus from Multiplying: The earlier someone starts antiviral treatment, the better chance they have to lower the level of virus in their body, which can make a difference in their recovery.
• Minimize Severe Symptoms: Quick action can help prevent mild symptoms from turning severe – potentially preventing a hospital stay.
• Limit the Impact of COVID-19 on Your Life: Speedy treatment can shorten the time you are sick, easing the burden of the virus on your life and getting you back to usual.
• Helping to Protect Others: High-risk individuals not only face danger themselves but can also unknowingly spread the virus to others. Rapid treatment helps break the chain of transmission.

Remember, timing matters in reducing the risks of COVID-19 and planning ahead can make the difference in the lives of those most vulnerable.

Visit covidvaccineproject.org/treatments to make a plan for yourself or someone that matters to you today.

(NewsUSA) - En la batalla en curso contra COVID-19 las vacunas han tenido éxito en ayudar a reducir la enfermedad y contribuir a la disminución del número de infecciones en los EE. UU. y alrededor del mundo. Pero COVID-19 no se ha ido, y sigue siendo una amenaza significativa. Aquellos con sistemas inmunológicos debilitados, enfermedades crónicas y otros factores de riesgo son particularmente vulnerables a enfermedades graves por el virus.

Si bien las vacunas siguen siendo la mejor primera defensa contra COVID-19, los tratamientos antivirales han surgido como otra herramienta poderosa para ayudar a combatir el virus y proteger a aquellos que enfrentan un mayor riesgo de enfermedad grave y hospitalización por COVID-19.

¿Quién está en riesgo?

Millones de estadounidenses enfrentan un mayor riesgo de desarrollar COVID-19 severo, y muchos ni siquiera lo saben. Tener 50 años o más, o tener una serie de condiciones de salud comunes, incluyendo cáncer, asma, diabetes, enfermedades del corazón y sistemas inmunológicos debilitados pueden hacer que alguien sea más propenso a experimentar síntomas graves de COVID-19.

Los tratamientos están disponibles
La buena noticia es que, para muchos de aquellos en alto riesgo que se infectan con COVID-19 y tienen síntomas leves a moderados, los antivirales pueden ser una opción de tratamiento segura y efectiva. Los antivirales funcionan ayudando a detener la replicación del virus. Esto puede ayudar a limitar la propagación del virus dentro del cuerpo, minimizando la gravedad de los síntomas y la duración de la enfermedad.

La importancia de la rapidez es un principio fundamental subyacente en los tratamientos antivirales para COVID-19. Cuando alguien con alto riesgo se infecta con COVID-19, el virus puede propagarse rápidamente dentro de su cuerpo, lo que puede causar problemas respiratorios graves y complicaciones. Aquí es donde los tratamientos antivirales pueden ser capaces de ayudar. El tratamiento con antivirales para COVID-19 es más efectivo si comienza dentro de los primeros cinco a siete días desde que aparecen los primeros síntomas de COVID-19.

Pero los antivirales no son para todos. No se recomiendan para personas que son jóvenes, saludables y no corren un alto riesgo de enfermarse gravemente debido a COVID-19, y hay ciertas condiciones de salud y medicamentos que se sabe que causan reacciones adversas con los tratamientos antivirales. Hable con un proveedor de atención médica para saber si un tratamiento antiviral es una opción.

Planificar con anticipación

Para cualquiera que tenga un alto riesgo de COVID-19 grave, actuar rápidamente cuando ocurra una infección y planificar con anticipación será clave para obtener el tratamiento que pueda necesitar. Comience por planificar:

• Hacer una lista de medicamentos actuales
• Hablar con un proveedor de atención médica para entender el riesgo de COVID-19 grave y discutir las posibles opciones de tratamiento
• Crear un plan para hacerse la prueba y comenzar el tratamiento al primer signo de una infección por COVID-19 y antes de que se cierre la ventana de oportunidad de 5 a 7 días

Por qué importa la rapidez

• Detener la multiplicación del virus: Cuanto antes alguien comienza el tratamiento antiviral, mejor oportunidad tendrá de reducir el nivel del virus en su cuerpo, lo cual puede marcar una diferencia en su recuperación.
• Minimizar los síntomas graves: La acción rápida puede ayudar a prevenir que los síntomas leves se vuelvan graves, potencialmente evitando una estancia hospitalaria.
• Limitar el impacto del COVID-19 en su vida: El tratamiento rápido puede acortar el tiempo que esté enfermo, aliviando la carga del virus en su vida y permitiéndole volver a la normalidad.
• Ayudar a proteger a otros: Las personas con alto riesgo no sólo enfrentan peligro ellos mismos sino que también pueden propagar el virus sin saberlo a otros. El tratamiento rápido ayuda a romper la cadena de transmisión.

Recuerde, el tiempo importa en la reducción de los riesgos del COVID-19 y planificar con anticipación puede marcar la diferencia en las vidas de los más vulnerables.

Visite covidvaccineproject.org/treatments para hacer un plan para usted o para alguien que le importe hoy.

(NewsUSA) - Interest rates have soared dramatically, raising the cost of buying anything on credit. For example, over the past two years, mortgage rates have more than doubled, adding hundreds or thousands of dollars to monthly payments. At the same time, high interest rates offer new opportunities for earning an attractive return on savings. With rates expected to stay high, now is the time to consult a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^™ professional who can help you find ways to earn more interest while paying less.

The Basics: What Are Interest Rates?

Nobody lends money without wanting all of the principal back — and more. The “more” is the interest rate you pay. It’s the price of money, and it can add up quickly. For example, if you have $10,000 in credit card debt and you take five years to pay it off with a 20% interest rate, you’ll pay $5,896 in interest. On the other hand, if you paid off the credit card with a five-year, 10% personal loan, you’d pay only $2,748 in interest — a savings of $3,148. That’s just one strategy among many that a CFP^® professional can customize to your particular financial situation.

Earn More Interest With These Three Letters: APY

The annual percentage yield (APY) is used to compare the rates paid on savings accounts and some checking accounts. Look at the APY number, not the interest rate number. Two banks may have the same posted interest rate but pay different amounts of interest. Here’s how: Bank No. 1 pays interest everyday on your principal and the interest you earned previously. That’s called daily compound interest. Bank No. 2 compounds interest only monthly. The financial institution that pays compound interest daily will have a higher APY.  

Is your money sitting in a bank earning an interest rate of one-tenth of 1%? Many people are making that mistake. Would you like to earn far more interest? A CFP^® professional can help you review options.

Make Smart Money Moves With a CFP^® Professional

Some interest payments are tax deductible while others are not. A CFP^® professional can figure out whether it makes sense to shift some of your borrowings to the tax-deductible category and save you money.

The Impact of Interest Rates on Investing

High interest rates affect stocks, bonds, real estate and other investment markets, and some investments are more resilient than others in high-interest rate environments. That is where the insights of your CFP^® professional can improve your portfolio’s performance.

Whether you want to pay less interest or earn more, a CFP^® professional can guide you to better outcomes during a time of high interest rates. Find your CFP^® professional today.

(NewsUSA) - Deena Undone by Debra Every

A terrifying nightmare sets off a series of attacks on Deena Bartlett's five senses, and her eighty-year-old Aunt Agatha is responsible. But the old woman is not alone. She's made a monstrous bargain with the Sensu, a malevolent entity whose stock in trade is attacking a person's five senses, one by one. It has promised Agatha health in return for the killing of her niece.

Deena has remained loyal to her bitter aunt for years. But Agatha is dying and her insults will soon end... until a string of inexplicable incidents. A sound so piercing Deena's nose bleeds. A smell so vile her breathing suffocates. And after each attack her aunt's health improves. With mounting dread, Deena discovers her aunt’s bargain, and when the Sensu thrusts her into its terrifying realm, she must battle not only the power of her aunt's long-held secrets but her own guilt. Purchase at https://bit.ly/3THZfMX.

The Burning Years: Until This Last Quartet: Book 1 by Felicity Harley

In this first book in a series, it’s the year, 2060. Sophie, a top female scientist, dismantles the government weather modification program and steals the male and female trans-humans who hold the promise of extended life.

While the remaining inhabitants of Earth are forced to design new underground habitats in order to survive a harsh, overheated world, Captain Rachel Chen, takes the worldship Persephone to Proxima Centauri, hoping that this new star system will provide a refuge for the survivors of the human race.

One Amazon reviewer calls the book “captivating and fast-paced, covering important issues facing our planet through a very engaging story. The author provides a wealth of scientific information very creatively, easily weaving it in as part of the suspense and plot of this story.” Purchase at https://bit.ly/4cMA9Ev.

Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover by Sierra D. Luchien

A scared woman is afraid to live for herself because she’s caught up in the street life and issues with gangs, men, money and abuse. Little did she know she would change her life.

A social worker comes into the picture. She takes Sierra’s siblings out of school, and says she is going to help the family turn things around. But was it a deal with the devil?

That day caused a domino effect, leading to overall depression with underlining pain that was covered with material things and a false pretense. Nothing would stop Sierra not getting raped, stabbed, shot. But she was a runner that ultimately ran right into God as her savior. Purchase at https://bit.ly/4d7xlm1.

Building Wealth Through Rental Properties by Dr. Amit Sachdeo

In the ever-evolving landscape of investment opportunities, real estate stands out as a powerful wealth-building tool that has stood the test of time. If you are completely new to rental property investing, this book serves as a comprehensive roadmap to mastering the exciting world of real estate investing.

Packed with practical advice and actionable strategies, this handbook covers everything novice investors need to build a successful rental property portfolio from the ground up. Each chapter is crafted to empower readers with the knowledge, strategies, and confidence needed to unlock the wealth-building potential of real estate. Inside, readers will find the motivation to transform aspirations of wealth and prosperity into an abundant reality of financial freedom.

Key steps include: how to identify lucrative rental properties, optimal financing methods for investing in rental properties, tips for effective property management, real-life case studies, and more. Purchase at www.sachdeo.com/shop.

(NewsUSA) - As every adult knows, Halloween is not just for kids. Grown-ups may not be out ringing the neighbors’ doorbells, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be having fun.

When planning your adult Halloween party, don’t be afraid to get creative with food and drinks based on your theme. Dress up your hot dogs or pigs in a blanket as severed fingers, draw a spider web on your bowl of dip with sour cream for savory, whipped cream or chocolate for sweet. You can’t go wrong with ghost or pumpkin cookies, and the variations are endless.

For drinks, what’s a Halloween party without a punch bowl. Take your drinks up a notch by serving them in a cauldron. If you really want to freak your guests out, you could even buy a zombie hand that can hold the ladle for serving.

These boozy Halloween punch recipes are definitely a treat and not a trick. However, you can make your guests think twice by chilling the drinks with eyeball or skull ice cubes.

Did you know that dry ice emits a foggy substance when it mixed with a liquid? If you want your cauldron to steam, try adding some food-grade dry ice to the punch right before guests arrive. Since it’s cold, it’ll also work to keep the drinks chilled.

Finally, fill your cauldron (or glass) with Witch’s Berry Brew, made special with the distinctive flavor of Seagram Escapes Berry Mimosa.

- 3/4 cup Seagram’s Escapes Berry Mimosa

- 1 oz vodka

- 1/4 oz blue curacao

- Lime wedge

- 1/4 cup berries, plus more for garnish

The directions are frightfully simple. Combine Seagram’s Escapes Berry Mimosa, vodka, blue curacao and juice from the lime wedge to a mixing glass or pitcher and stir to combine.

Next, add 1/4 cup of berries to a 17-ounce wine glass. Fill the glass with crushed ice. Pour the cocktail mixture into the glass. If desired, garnish with berries.

Visit seagramescapes.com/seagrams-recipes for more ideas and information.

(NewsUSA) - Sicilian Avengers (Books One and Two) by Luigi Natoli

A thrilling Sicilian saga about the legendary secret sect purported to be forerunners of the Mafia, translated into English for the first time in two volumes.

Emerging from the dark streets and subterranean caves of Palermo, the Beati Paoli, masked and hooded, mete out their own form of justice to counter the unfettered power and privilege wielded by the aristocracy. For the voiceless, weak, and oppressed, the Beati Paoli are defenders and heroes.

Reminiscent of a Dumas novel, this is a atmospheric fresco of early eighteenth-century Palermo. Blasco da Castiglione, a bold orphan adventurer, arrives on a quest to discover his origins and seek his destiny. But this D’Artagnan-esque hero gets caught in a murderous succession plot involving a powerful family.

In Book Two, the Beati Paoli’s unrelenting campaign to restore justice is compromised by an act of betrayal and a plot that threatens its very existence. Purchase at https://bit.ly/4aWh3KN.

The Time Keepers by Alyson Richman

An unforgettable novel that captures the power of longing, loss, and love, The Time Keepers transports us from 1979 suburban New York to war-torn Vietnam, revealing that sometimes the most unexpected friendships can save us.

Two women from different worlds, Grace and Anh, are indelibly changed when a runaway boy is found on a street in their small Long Island town. Brought together by the love of this child displaced by war, the women find friendship and healing from their own painful pasts when their lives intersect with a mysterious wounded Vietnam vet. The vet, Jack, works at a watch store that mends timepieces—and might even mend damaged souls. 

Richman interweaves the journeys of these diverse characters who will grip, fill, and break your heart—only to bring them together with the care and precision of an expert watchmaker, one piece at a time. Inspired by a true. Purchase at https://bit.ly/3KPAWZj.

The Coat Check Girl by Laura Buchwald

For fans of Louise Erdrich’s The Sentence and Ashley Poston’s The Dead Romantics, embark on a touching journey with Josie Gray as she navigates the turbulent waters of loss, love, and the supernatural.

After bidding farewell to her cherished grandmother, Josie Gray finds herself adrift in a sea of grief, compounded by the complexities of an ambiguous romantic entanglement and the return of her unsettling “gift”—the ability to communicate with spirits. A presence haunts the restaurant where she works, dredging up long-buried memories from her childhood.

But amidst the shadows, a luminous figure emerges—the restaurant’s new coat check girl. Mia is a beacon of understanding, offering solace in shared experiences and a determination to unravel the mystery shrouding the restless spirit. Mia keeps Josie afloat during one of her most difficult seasons, helping her to embrace her unique talents and confront the ghostly enigma looming over them. Purchase at https://bit.ly/3XiGBNt.

Book of the Month by Jennifer Probst

She’s desperate for another bestseller… and she’ll go to any length to get it. Even if it means sacrificing her pride to chase the hottest bachelor in town and get him to break her heart.

Once the literary world’s golden girl, Aspen Lourde can’t seem to produce another successful book, and the pressure’s on to prove she’s not just a one-hit-wonder. But there’s a catch: her bestseller was a heartbreak hit, straight from her own love life disaster. Without any fresh romantic turmoil to fuel her pen, Aspen needs inspiration quick enough to create a book her agent can sell to her publisher.

Brick Babel is a romance novelist’s dream: He’s everything Aspen needs for a muse kickstart—gorgeous, moody, and notoriously unattainable.  Too bad a good heartbreak is exactly what she needs to meet her deadline.

But will Brick play the game? Purchase at https://bit.ly/4f4T5jO.

(NewsUSA) - As Americans prepare to spend more cold cash to keep warm this winter, it’s more important than ever to learn how to leverage the benefits of The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) is the largest ever climate investment in American history expected to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) and cut home energy costs by incentivizing the adoption of highly efficient electric appliances – including heat pumps. In fact, the IRA specifically highlights the vital role of heat pumps to achieve its objectives.

A Heat Pump Primer

Heat pumps offer an energy-efficient alternative to furnaces and air conditioners for all climates and seasons.

The most common type of heat pump is the air source heat pump (ASHP) which provides optimally efficient heating and cooling by extracting heat from outside into your home in the winter and pulling the heat out of your home in the summer. Today's systems can reduce electricity use for heating by approximately 50% compared to units such as furnaces and baseboard heaters and is about one-half the cost of oil heat.

For homes without ducts, ASHPs are available in a ductless version called mini-split heat pumps. Mini-split systems, offered by companies including Fujitsu General, provide maximum energy efficiency, saving homeowners up to an additional 25% of utility bills by simply eliminating wasteful ducts. Duct losses can easily account for more than 30% of energy consumption.

Further, heat pumps are better for the environment because they don’t burn fossil fuels. In fact, even under conservative modeling assumptions, 98% of U.S. households would cut their carbon emissions by installing heat pumps today, according to Rewiring America.

Acting on The Inflation Reduction Act

The benefits boil down to two categories: Tax credits and rebates. Specifically, there’s the 25C Tax Credit and two rebates (coming soon) including the High Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Act (HEEHRA) and the Home Owner Managing Energy Savings (HOMES) Rebate Program.

• Energy Efficient Home Improvement (25C) Tax Credit: 25C provides households a 30% tax credit for heat pumps capped at $2,000 per year. The credit resets each tax year, effectively becoming available again for additional projects. 25C also includes a 30% tax credit up to $600 for an electrical panel upgrade, but only if it’s upgraded in conjunction with another upgrade covered by 25C (like a heat pump).
   
• High Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Act: The High Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Act provides point-of-sale consumer rebates to enable low- and moderate-income households to electrify their homes. For low-income households, the program covers 100% of heat pump costs up to $8,000. For moderate-income households, they cover 50% of costs up to $8,000. The rebates may be implemented differently in each state, so final amounts, eligibility, or timeline may vary.
   
• Home Owner Managing Energy Savings Rebate Program: The Home Owner Managing Energy Savings Rebate Program will provide funding to State energy offices to develop and implement a rebate program for whole-house energy saving retrofits including certain HVAC equipment. Unlike the HEEHRA program, the HOMES rebates program is not income restricted but is rather performance-based with modeled or measured energy savings from energy efficiency upgrades.

With home heating and cooling accounting for nearly half of home energy use, don’t let rising utility bills leave you in the cold this winter. For more information about the IRA benefits, visit Rewiring America and www.constantcomfort.com to find a heat pump system that would suit your home’s needs.

(NewsUSA) - Our Nation mourns for the communities of Northern Florida, where residents were so tragically affected by Hurricane Idalia. The Marine Toys for Tots Program recognizes that need extends far beyond the holiday season, and we stand ready to assist when hope and relief are needed most.

The families living in the counties of Taylor, Lafayette, and Suwannee have suffered devastating losses, and the financial and emotional fallout will be long lasting—especially for those without the means to recover. In order to provide comfort, emotional relief, and hope to these families, Toys for Tots plans to distribute toys, books, and other gifts to the children of these communities.

Toys for Tots is a year-round force for good, providing hope and emotional relief to families experiencing challenging circumstances. Our local Toys for Tots campaigns in Taylor, Lafayette, and Suwannee Counties are working together to ensure that the children who lost so much will be reminded that there is hope for a brighter tomorrow. Our Coordinators throughout the Nation work tirelessly from October-December to provide something tangible to economically disadvantaged children on Christmas morning.

However, we can’t anticipate when natural disasters will strike and are extremely fortunate to have our volunteer Coordinators who are ready, willing, and able to provide support on short notice.  They are rallying to provide assistance to the children of families who lost so much as a result of Hurricane Idalia.

Toys for Tots will be providing support to over 12,000 children throughout the three Northern Florida Counties. Our amazing Coordinators who oversee the campaigns near the affected areas are working together to organize distribution events through local organizations over the next few weeks.

“Over the past few years, families across our Nation have faced tremendous challenges, but the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Idalia has added to the severity of hardships that the families in the communities of Taylor, Lafayette, and Suwannee Counties must overcome,” said LtGen Jim Laster, USMC (Retired), CEO of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.

“The Marine Toys for Tots Program recognizes the need outside of the holiday season, and we want to do what we can to provide hope for these families and offer our assistance now,” he said. “We are extremely proud of our Coordinators who work beyond the holiday season and our network of nonprofit partners that are able to assist us in providing emotional relief to the children living in these Florida communities as soon as possible.” 

Marine Toys for Tots is a year-round force for good – because children need hope for a brighter tomorrow beyond the holiday season. To support the efforts to ease the suffering of families impacted by Hurricane Idalia and to support other year-round efforts, visit www.toysfortots.org.

(NewsUSA) - Fall offers a perfect opportunity to have window film installed on a vehicle's side and rear windows. As more people learn about the many benefits of window film for their health, safety, and comfort, you may fall in love with window film too!

As leaves give way and the sun's trajectory passes lower in the sky, glare becomes a greater problem for the eyes, and this may lead to an accident from the glare obscuring one’s view. Much like a quality pair of sunglasses, window films can reduce the glare and when it's reduced, the eyes can relax and may see the road ahead better.

Here are a few of the many other benefits of automotive window films:

• 99 percent of the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays are blocked. UV exposure is a cause of skin and eye damage that may lead to skin cancer and cataracts over time. UV rays also contribute to fading and cracking of surfaces by breaking down fibers, plastics, wood and leather of a vehicle's interior.
• The direct heat generated by the sun is reflected away from a vehicle's interior by the film, so surfaces are cooler to the touch and there is less demand placed on the vehicle’s air conditioner.
• By cutting down on the sun's glare coming in through side and rear windows, and also by helping to hold glass together if it is broken in an accident, occupants experience more safety, as they are not showered suddenly by hundreds of glass beads.

The International Window Film Association (IWFA) offers information on what to expect after a professional installation of window film on a vehicle, as well as a Visual Quality Inspection Guideline

Every state has laws concerning vehicles and window films, especially on front windshields and the windows immediately to the left and right of the driver. When arranging a professional installation of window film, be sure to ask the dealership what level of visual light transmission (VLT) will comply with the local jurisdiction where the vehicle is registered. The IWFA offers a chart that shows what VLT level are permitted by law in each of the U.S. states and Canadian provinces.  The IWFA recommendation for window films used on front side windows is nothing darker than a 35 percent VLT film; some states allow darker films behind the driver’s compartment.

The best part of having window film installed on your vehicle in the fall is that it will be ready to help protect you and your family in all seasons, and that's something you can fall in love with.