Health

woman standing at end of aisle in supermarket

Californians will get a ‘non-ultra-processed’ food label, if bill is signed by Gov. Newsom

Rita R. Robison / September 14, 2026

Residence of California will get help selecting more healthy food in the supermarket if Gov. Gavin Newsom signs a bill

sweet potatoes in a crate

How to enjoy sweet potatoes

Rita R. Robison / September 11, 2026

Ever buy a bag of sweet potatoes? I have. I’m currently working on one right now. I like to rotate

1.5 million rechargeable hand warmers recalled after fires, burns, and one death

Rita R. Robison / September 11, 2026

OCOOPA rechargeable lithium-ion battery hand warmers are being recalled because they can overheat and ignite, posing a risk of serious

Do you live in a happy state or an unhappy state?

Rita R. Robison / September 8, 2026

We all want to be happy. We’d like to get our work, finances, families, and social lives in order so

What are the most popular national parks in the U.S.?

Rita R. Robison / August 30, 2026

Did you get to enjoy a national park during National Parks Week, which is just wrapping up? It’s the 110th

boy in striped long sleeves using a smartphone

‘We will see,’ citizens’ group says about the effectiveness of Meta’s $17 billion settlement on the harms its platforms pose to kids

Rita R. Robison / August 29, 2026

Meta will pay more than $17 billion and make changes to Facebook and Instagram to resolve claims brought by dozens

drinks in glasses on a banquet table

Alcohol industry fails to provide voluntary nutrition and ingredient information on labels, study finds

Rita R. Robison / August 28, 2026

Do product labels from the top 150 beer, 150 spirits, and 150 wine brands sold in the United States contain

kids sitting back to back using smartphones

At last: Meta’s $17 billion settlement shows action can be taken to address the harms to kids by media

Rita R. Robison / August 28, 2026

For years, I’ve written about the harms that violence in the media does to children. While the American Academy of

cows feeding in a slovakian winter farm scene

McDonald’s, Subway, and Taco Bell fail to honor their pledges to reduce the use of antibiotics in the beef they serve customers, report says

Rita R. Robison / August 25, 2026

Available data suggests that McDonald’s, Subway, and Taco Bell appear to have failed to honor their commitments to reduce, or

This week's top 10 money tips

1. Start earlier to buy an airline ticket because you need to compare the cost of classes within the plane, too.

2. Check out these tips on what to do to avoid over-spending on your cars or cars.

3. Let the FTC know you don’t like surveillance pricing. Prices for products and services need to change based upon supply and demand, not people’s web surfing habits or buying history.

4. Take a look at these seven household expenses, in addition to gasoline, that may rise when oil stays above $100 a barrel including groceries, package and food deliveries, airfares, heating and electricity, household products and clothing, and home repairs and construction.

5. Check out these tips on how to reduce your utility bills in addition to commenting on proposed increases for electricity, gas, water, sewer, and garbage.

6. Expect yields for savings accounts, money market funds, and Treasury bills to be slightly lower due to the recent .25 percent interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve.

7. Build a financial plan by starting with your goals, not someone else’s; be selective about who you listen to; remember that financial planning is about more than investing; and learn the difference between news and noise.

8. Think about September, rather than January, as a better time to set and work toward your big money goals. As the seasons shift, vacations are over and the kids have gone back to school, and you’ve lived enough of the year to know what’s working and what isn’t.

9. Be aware that 63 percent of U.S. consumers have stopped shopping with a retailer or abandoned a purchase because of its return policy, a survey shows.

10. Be aware scammers are using AI to mine information from obituaries to fool family members. Stop and consider if you need to include things such as full names, specific hometowns, employers, schools, and other identifying details.

Sign up for my newsletter and you'll get 10 tips like this every week, for no charge. And, tell your friends and co-workers about it so they can make savvy money choices, too. Here’s the sign up: https://tinyurl.com/makeyourmoneywork. And, for a big bonus, you’ll also get my free e-book on how to optimize their personal finance decisions.

September 17, 2026