September 2, 2021 – NEWS WITHOUT THE POLITICAL DRAMA!

HE SAID / SHE SAID

What’s one thing you would tell your younger self ?

• He Said – Don’t waste money, make better financial decisions
• She Said – Stop worrying about what everyone else thinks, you DO YOU! Also save and invest more!

TOP NEWS

• The jury selection for the trial of Elizabeth Holmes, former CEO of Theranos, began this week. Prosecutors and defense attorneys are trying to find a dozen impartial jurors and five alternates to sit for what’s expected to be a 13-week long trial. Holmes and Sunny Balwani, her former business partner and for a time her boyfriend, each face 10 counts of wire fraud and 2 counts of conspiracy. Both have pleaded not guilty. Several potential jurors said they had read books, watched documentaries, or heard TED talks and podcasts on the topic. U.S. District Court Judge Edward Davila suggested that potential jurors turn off news alerts to avoid further media exposure. Let the circus begin…..
• Social Security and Medicare, the government’s two biggest benefit programs, remain under intense financial pressure with the retirement of millions of baby boomers and a devastating pandemic. Social Security will be unable to pay full benefits starting in 2034, a year earlier than previously forecasted. The programs’ trustees released information Tuesday, which moved up the date for the depletion of Social Security’s reserves. Medicare is still expected to exhaust its reserves in 2026, the same date as estimated last year. A shrinking workforce may also pose trouble in the longer-term for the Social Security program, since it relies on a payroll tax to finance benefits. When the Social Security trust fund is depleted, the government will be able to pay 78% of scheduled benefits.
• Hurricane Ida’s force was so strong it temporarily reversed the flow of the Mississippi River. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokesman Ricky Boyette confirmed engineers detected a “negative flow” on the Mississippi River as a result of storm surge. At the peak of the reversal, it was flowing nearly 40,000 cubic feet per second upriver. The reversal occurred for just over a couple of hours.

HEALTH NEWS

• When we think of exercise, we always think of the core, glutes and legs, and arms, but there are some other important parts of our body that need regular exercise. Exercising your brain on a regular basis can enhance cognition and have lifelong benefits. The idea is to use exercise to strengthen the longevity of neuroplasticity, which, in short, is the brain’s ability to adapt and master new skills, as well as store memories and information. The key is mental exercise that challenges our brain – like learning a new skill. Exercise is also needed for our lungs to keep them at peak performance as our lung function starts to decline at 35. Our wrists and our toes need regular exercise as well….
• The Alzheimer’s Disease International is urging the WHO and governments around the world to “urgently fast track research on the potential impact of COVID-19 on increasing dementia rates.” Some research has shown that Covid infections can increase a person’s likelihood of developing dementia and cause dementia symptoms to show up earlier. People need to be aware of the possible link between long-COVID and dementia, so they know to self-monitor for symptoms and catch it as early as possible.

BUSINESS NEWS

• After a dire 2020, the restaurant industry is staging a comeback, but headwinds will likely keep it from bouncing back to 2019 levels, a new report shows. Pent-up consumer demand, stimulus payments and vaccine availability fueled restaurant sales in the first half of 2021 and helped restaurant owners climb back from the losses the industry faced during 2020. But serious challenges such as labor shortages and rising food and fuel costs are limiting gains. Even more worrisome, a resurgence in Covid-19 cases in recent weeks is clouding the picture for the months ahead.
• 42% of new electricity generation capacity in the U.S. came from land-based wind energy — more than from any other source — according to numbers in a series of reports from the Department of Energy (DOE) this week. While both capacity and electricity generation from wind can vary regionally, land-based wind is now a strong, intermittent energy source across the U.S. In addition to land-based wind farms, many off-shore wind developments are underway domestically.

FOOD & DRINK

Everything Burgers!

The best burger in every state – 2021

Best Hamburger Recipe

Pairing Craft Beer and Burgers

• Spicy flavors: Pilsners and Helles-style lagers will cool the heat, while hoppy IPAs pair well with spicy flavors to accentuate the heat.
• Savory flavors: Porters, Schwarzbiers, nutty brown ales, and amber beers complement mushrooms and some aged cheeses, such as Swiss and Gouda.

SPORTS NEWS

• In a surprising turn of events, the Patriots released Cam Newton. 2021 first-round quarterback Mac Jones will open the season as the New England Patriots starter. This cut was unexpected. Newton, who spent just one season with the Pats, signed a one-year contract in March and had looked decent in the preseason. However changed last week when Newton missed several days of practice after a Covid testing misunderstanding. This opened the door for Jones, who got to spend those days taking first-team reps and showing the coaching staff he had progressed over the spring and summer. Belichick was impressed enough by Jones to let Newton go and move forward with a rookie QB.
• Ohio State QB Quinn Ewers has signed a name, image and likeness deal with GT Sports Marketing for $1.4 million. The contract with GT Sports Marketing is for 3 years and is in exchange for autographs. The deal was negotiated by Ewers’ agents at Sportstars and Rubicon, and is Ewers’ third NIL deal overall. Ewers is cashing in on the new opportunities that have emerged with NIL deals being granted to college athletes only a few months ago.