(NewsUSA) - The laundry industry would have you believe that in order to get brilliant, clean laundry, you need to use powders, liquids and pods that are diluted with water, and come in bulky, single-use plastic containers. However, according to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), plastic waste is en route to overtake fossil fuels as the leading environmental pollution by 2030.     

According to The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050, making this the best time to consider a more sustainable laundry routine.     

Offering the same cleaning power as traditional detergents, eco laundry strips are leading the way with many benefits. Usually sold online by subscription with free sampling, these pre-measured, paper-thin resin strips boast natural ingredients, zero waste and no plastic -- good reasons to consider ditching mom’s laundry detergent for an eco-friendly one.     

In case you’re considering reducing plastic in your household this year, here are three earth-impacting reasons to make the switch to laundry strips:     

95% Less Transportation Pollution. Significantly reducing greenhouse gases and fossil fuels, laundry strips are concentrated soap that dissolves and biodegrades naturally in water. They’re small and lightweight, unlike traditional detergent that is 10% soap and 90% water, which results in transporting water around the world and having a huge eco footprint.     

Plastic-Free. Laundry strips are pre-measured with one strip equaling one load, and packaged in recycled paper, unlike most common detergents that use single-use plastic containers. With 292.4 tons of plastic ending up in landfills and less than 9% actually recycled (source EPA), going plastic-free to save the environment is a no-brainer.     

Plant-Derived Ingredient. Laundry strips are hypoallergenic and safe for the most sensitive skin types. They boast natural scented oils and plant-derived ingredients that clean laundry, as well as traditional detergent, minus the over- 200 synthetic chemicals that can result in skin or eye irritation, eczema, rashes, endocrine disruption, and more.     

Adding to the positive environmental impact, let’s not overlook the convenience. After all, who wouldn’t love not having to deal with big, bulky containers? Ordering by subscription may take a moment to get used to, but having your laundry detergent delivered in an envelope to your door and storing it in a drawer is a huge bonus we’re guessing your home decorator will love.     

By transforming the way we do laundry, we can do our part to reduce our environmental impact. Learn more about eco laundry strips, and try them for free at USolve.com 

(NewsUSA) - ­­­­

“Squeeze Plays”
by Jeffrey Marshall       

A modern tableau about money and power set in New York and London. Two powerful men, a bank chief executive and a New York tabloid publisher, are at odds over a loan that would keep the publisher afloat. Enter a ruthless Russian oligarch with an offer of a financial life raft to the publisher -- a gambit uncovered by a dogged financial reporter who senses a big story.  

The book whisks us into the paneled boardrooms and lavish penthouses of the New York elite and shows us their lifestyle, their desires and their foibles. The author carefully details the reporter’s story, which ties the central characters together in what becomes a stunning front-page expose. Along the way, the reader sees not just financial skullduggery but sexual blackmail, strong and principled female characters and a brisk and often satirical take on the corrupting influences of wealth and power.

Purchase at https://amzn.to/3PSCG4Q.

“Laughing My Way Through the Third Stage”
by Susan Goldfein  

The author is highly qualified to tarnish the golden years and she does so with the usual wit and wisdom we’ve come to expect. Following her first two award-winning books, “How Old Am I in Dog Years and How to Complain When There’s Nothing to Complain About,” this collection of hilarious essays comments on her personal, but highly relatable, journey through the decades.  

With wit and candor, Goldfein discusses her left rotator cuff that no longer rotated, her horror at losing inches instead of pounds and the indignity of bathing suit shopping. Susan has become the hilarious new voice for “women of a certain age,” and she reminds us of how refreshing it is to step back and have a good laugh at our own expense.

Purchase at  https://amzn.to/3xmRYru.

“The Offering”
by Salah El Moncef  

A Tunisian diasporic poet explores the nature of loss as his life tragically falls apart in this critically acclaimed novel.  

After countless professional disappointments, Tariq Abbassi flees Tunisia with his wife for a new life in France, where he plans to flourish as an experimental poet. But soon he is struggling just to keep his family together. His uncompromising ambition and untethered anger, however, ultimately lead to an emotional rupture, and Tariq soon finds himself completely alone when his wife takes the children and leaves.  

This abandonment is only the first in a string of unspeakable tragedies that befall him. Reeling from his devastating loss while attempting to cope with a traumatic brain injury, Tariq finds his already tenuous grasp on reality slipping away.

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

“The Power of Being Seen”
by Roger Saillant  

A poignant memoir about a person who was a product of the foster care system in the 1950s, showing how adults’ inability to really see and hear others can alter a life. Author Roger Saillant describes his journey, constantly doubting himself and wondering: ‘Why doesn’t anybody want me? Did I do something wrong?’ He lives life on a farm where all that matters is whether work gets done  --  with no regard to the typical experiences of a growing child.  

Saillant describes feelings of abandonment and hopelessness, but the good values instilled by many caring adults make this a story of optimism, courage and inspiration. “Roger understands the impact kind people have had on him. Those who saw him and assured him he matters will live in him forever,” says reviewer Kathleen Alfiero.

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

NOTE: BookTrib’s Bites is presented by Booktrib.com.

(NewsUSA) - Joe Minogue knows the meaning of service. The retired lieutenant from the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) began his firefighting career in 1998. But on September 11, 2001, his chosen career changed radically when the World Trade Center Twin Towers collapsed following a devastating terrorist attack.     

Minogue rushed to the rubble. He would not know at the time that his musical talent would become part of his duty. He became an FDNY bugler for the Ceremonial Unit, playing Taps for hundreds of firefighter funerals and memorials.     

Minogue remains an active member of the FDNY community. He’s currently a liaison to the FDNY for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), the nonprofit organization established by Congress in 1992 to lead a nationwide effort honoring America’s fallen firefighters, assisting their families and working to reduce line-of-duty deaths.     

Every year, Minogue now participates in the NFFF National 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb to commemorate the FDNY firefighters killed in the 9/11 attacks. He says the climbs are meaningful for three reasons. “It’s about the past, the now, and the future. We remember the past; we live in the now because we don’t know what the future will bring. And no matter what -- we can’t forget the 343 who gave their lives in service, so we’re honoring their memory and supporting their families into the future, for as long as they need.”     

The National Stair Climb takes place on October 16 at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY. Participants symbolically retrace the steps of the FDNY firefighters who died on 9/11 by climbing stairs until they reach the equivalent of 110 stories -- or 2,220 steps -- of the World Trade Center. Each climber also carries a photo of a firefighter who died on 9/11. Visit this link to the Belmont climb to register and participate in New York on October 16.      

Approximately 50 local NFFF Stair Climbs also occur yearly in cities on or around September 11. Funds from the climbs support much-needed programs for families of firefighters killed in the line of duty. These programs offer various services, including grief and behavioral counseling -- and even a summer camp for the children of fallen firefighters. Current FDNY members benefit from this support as well as the survivors of those lost on September 11, 2001. The programs are available for as long as firefighters and their families need them.     

Anyone anywhere can support fallen firefighters and their families by climbing, walking or even biking in an NFFF Virtual Stair Climb. That’s possible now through December 31, 2022. Registration is required HERE.     

For more information and other ways to support families of fallen firefighters and reduce line-of-duty deaths, visit firehero.org.

(NewsUSA) - Medical tests done by clinical laboratories are an essential part of health care. However, repeated Medicare reimbursement cuts to clinical laboratory services could threaten patients’ access to common tests used to diagnose, monitor and manage serious diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease.     

A new campaign, called Stop Lab Cuts, is working to fix this problem and is urging Congress to pass the Saving Access to Laboratory Services Act (SALSA) this year.     

SALSA is intended to reform the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) passed by Congress in 2014, which has led to three rounds of payment cuts to laboratory services since the law was enacted.     

PAMA put Medicare reimbursement for clinical laboratory tests on an unsustainable path of multiyear cuts and relied on a narrow sample of clinical laboratory test prices to set Medicare rates, according to the American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA), the national trade organization representing clinical laboratories that provide diagnostic services across the United States.     

Congress has acknowledged the potentially harmful effects of PAMA and has taken bipartisan legislative action three times to delay cuts. Now, on the cusp of the next scheduled round of cuts, SALSA has been introduced to reform PAMA and protect access to laboratory tests, according to ACLA.     

SALSA has support from both parties in the House and Senate and from patient, provider and hospital groups.     

“Without congressional action this year, laboratories across the country will face a fourth round of cuts to reimbursement. These cuts could reduce access to testing and undermine the laboratory infrastructure essential for day-to-day care and needed to respond to emergencies such as COVID-19 and monkeypox. Ongoing cuts to payment will also stifle innovation and investment in new screening and diagnostic tests,” ACLA leadership said in a statement.   

Reforms proposed in SALSA include:     

• Ensuring that representative data is used in Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule (CLFS) rates and alleviating the reporting burden on labs by using statistical sampling.     
• Setting a limit of 5% on how much a CLFS rate could be increased or decreased from year to year.       
• Improving the types of private payor data used to set CLFS rates.     
• Increasing the length of time between data reporting from three years to four years.     

America needs a strong clinical laboratory infrastructure to support the delivery of routine patient care, and passage of SALSA would help protect access to the most common laboratory tests on which so many of America’s seniors depend, according to ACLA. 

(TVA) - As food costs continue to rise, many people are seeking creative solutions to stretch their dollars and reduce wasted food. Buying and cooking food in bulk helps save money, as well as time and resources. However, frugal shoppers then face the challenge of how to safely store their bounty for future meals.     

And … what about leftovers? Even the best storage bags and containers, when sealed properly, lock in damaging oxygen which can cause mold, oxidation and bacteria to set in.     

The right storage solutions can help extend the shelf life of everyday food and other products at home. MAP (Modified Atmosphere Packaging) is a patented system designed to help consumers keep food safely for longer periods by using nitrogen to maintain freshness and deter spoilage. This technology has been used by food processors and packers since the 1930s and is now available to the general public. Fruits, vegetables, cheese and meats stay fresher.     

“Using MAP, the bad air inside packaged products is exchanged and replaced by good air,” says MAPWARE creator Gary Growden.     

"Natural Preserve is simply highly filtered air, leaving 100% safe, natural, organic, inert nitrogen,” he explains.     

The MAPWARE natural storage system allows consumers to use MAP safely and effectively right at home. With MAPWARE, oxygen inside the container is reduced or eliminated, thereby lowering the chances of bacteria and oxidation setting in that can cause food to spoil.     

Here’s how it works: Place food in a MAPWARE container, seal with the locking lid, and use a specialized canister of their foodgrade nitrogen to flush out the bad air, leaving food sealed similar to the way it came from the store.     

The products in the MAPWARE line include specialized canisters of nitrogen and the MAPWARE series of bowls with lids, available in a range of sizes. In addition, the Zip and Zap bags are MAP-compliant zipper bags that can fit easily in the freezer, fridge or pantry and are perfect for meats, cookies, breads, fruits and vegetables, snacks and any other cooked or uncooked foods. Other MAPWARE products include specialized clips and caps that can be attached to bags of store-bought products, such as bread and buns.     

The MAPWARE products help prevent food waste and save money, so they benefit your wallet as well as the environment.     

MAPWARE’s Gary Growden  received the “Inventors Recognition Award” for the “Most Innovative and Best New Invention” by the International Housewares Association.       

The MAPWARE products are completely recyclable, reusable and renewable.     

Visit Mymapware.com for more information.

(NewsUSA) -  

“Ruin: A Novel of Flyfishing in Bankruptcy”
by  Leigh Seippel       

A thoroughly engrossing novel about a young couple’s struggle to come back from financial catastrophe. Having fled their urban life, they begin to build a new life together in a rural setting, only to have it fall apart all over again in ways that could never be predicted.  

Former hedge fund owner Frank Campbell has gone bankrupt and lost the entire inherited fortune of his artist wife. The couple takes refuge in an abandoned Hudson Valley farm shared with a resident herd of congenial goats.  

Frank tries to build a new business, but it is not the answer. Only when he turns to flyfishing, traveling the world in search of the ever more perfect and elusive trout (and one memorable carp), does he find his way forward.  

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

“KGB Banker”
by William McCormick and John Christmas  

A pulse-pounding international thriller spanning the globe. A return trip to the land of his ancestors is about to turn deadly for one whistleblowing Chicago banker.  

When financial executive Bob Vanags takes a job at  the ominous Turaida Bank in Latvia, he hopes to learn of his heritage and to fight economic fraud in Eastern Europe. Instead, Bob finds himself pulled into a world of political intrigue, blackmail and murder.    

Aided by his son David, his beautiful colleague Agnese and a fearless Latvian journalist named Santa Ezeriņa, Bob begins to unravel his employer’s darkest secrets, discovering their sins and conspiracies beyond his wildest fears. Secrets that Turaida wants to keep hidden, even at the cost of Bob’s life.

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

“Double Exposure”
by Jeanee Sacken  

It’s November 2015. Seasoned war photojournalist Annie Hawkins returns home after an assignment to find her life falling apart. She’s under investigation for an incident that happened six months earlier in Afghanistan. Her best friend’s daughter is still missing, apparently with her Taliban boyfriend. Her daughter and friends are fundraising to rebuild the Wad Qol Secondary School for Girls and expect Annie to deliver the money.  

When Annie returns to Afghanistan to cover peace talks between the government and the Taliban, she goes to Wad Qol, where she discovers that not everyone wants the new school. Sabotage delays construction, and when a worker ends up dead, it’s clear the militants are to blame. It’s also obvious that they know exactly where Annie is.

Purchase at https://amzn.to/3M8n5fn.

“Mirth”
by Kathleen George  

“You cannot fail to fall in love with Harrison Mirth.”  

“Mirth” chronicles the struggles of a writer, Harrison Mirth, a romantic man who writes about love and tries to find it through three marriages, in three cities, and always with renewable hope. Amanda is first -- New York City and youth. Maggie is second and spans the middle-age years -- Upstate New York. Liz, the third, from Pittsburgh and the senior years, sees him as a man sheltering a secret lake of sadness, but somehow always upbeat, cheerful, a willful optimist, forever innocent. To her, that is irresistible.  

Margot Livesey, author of “The Boy in The Field,” calls the book “a dazzling portrait of a man who lives up to his name, and of those who love him. A wonderful novel.”

Purchase at .

NOTE: BookTrib’s Bites is presented by Booktrib.com.

(NewsUSA) - Every family’s financial situation is unique, with different challenges, opportunities and cultural considerations affecting their decisions about money. For some -- particularly families who have immigrated from Latin America, where financial services are less regulated than in the United States -- a mistrust of financial institutions may also influence decision-making.

According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Latino households are five times less likely than white ones to have a banking relationship. Other research has found that financial challenges facing the Latino community range from higher debt and lower household wealth to less awareness of, or access to, diverse financial products.

Although this can make planning for your family’s future seem complicated and overwhelming, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM professional has the education and experience to help you make sense of your financial options and chart a path to reach your short- and long-term goals. CFP® professionals also make a commitment to the CFP Board to act as a fiduciary when providing financial advice to clients, which means they have agreed to put their clients’ best interests first.

Here are three tips for building trust and making the most of a partnership with a CFP® professional:

1. Look for a CFP® professional with international expertise. If your family members don’t live near you, estate planning can be challenging, so make sure you prioritize that with your planner. Cross-border issues need to be taken into consideration to minimize financial consequences. Make sure you ask your financial planner to give examples of how they’ve dealt with similar client issues in the past.

2. Include your family in the planning process. If your focus is on taking care of your family as a unit -- or you rely on your closest relatives for advice -- it may be smart to involve your partner, parents and children in your financial plan. This enables you to work together as a family to align your financial plan with the family’s well-being. It can also accelerate relationship-building with your financial planner as they learn about your values, culture and unique traditions.

3. Make sure your financial plan covers your needs. Most plans include cash flow planning, retirement, education, taxes and estate planning. Including plans for establishing credit, debt management and asset protection is also important. Don’t be afraid to ask your planner questions about financial structures and products that you’re not familiar with, or have them explain the advantages and disadvantages of different options. You can also ask your planner for illustrations or other graphic representations of your options. Visit LetsMakeAPlan.org to find a CFP® professional in your area and for more tips on making a solid financial plan.

Getting started on a comprehensive financial plan today will prepare you for a more secure tomorrow.

Helping your baby develop a healthy microbiome can help support their immune and digestive health for life. Here's an easy breakdown of six factors that help ensure the right microbes are introduced into your baby's tummy at the right time. 

Hint: you can keep the dog! 

See full-sized image here.

"CK Mondavi and Family wines are a tradition that has been in our family for four generations," says 4th generation Riana Mondavi.

"Passion has kept our family business going and I can say for all of us in this next generation, we are extremely humbled to carry on a wine legacy that was started by our great grandparents so long ago. We are also wholeheartedly committed to continuing the Mondavi family tradition for generations to come."

Riana and other "G4" family members including Alycia Mondavi, Angelina Mondavi, Giovanna Mondavi, Lia Mondavi, and Lucio Mondavi, are continuing to steward the family's winemaking institution as official brand ambassadors, the major shareholders of their family business. Two G4 members now serve as representatives on their Board of Directors. Their fathers, Marc Mondavi and Peter Mondavi, Jr., remain co-proprietors of the company, but this next generation of cousins is now more involved in the direction of the business.

CK Mondavi and Family was started by their great grandparents, Cesare and Rosa Mondavi, Italians who turned a mid-western grape-shipping business into a wine legacy. Eventually, the G4's grandfather, Peter Mondavi, Sr., took over the family business and continued to work tirelessly to ensure the business would be around for generations to come. Today, they continue to honor their grandfather's legacy in everything they do.

All of the G4 grew up on and around their family's Napa Valley estate, learning the business from a very young age. They played tag in the vineyards, picked grapes at harvest, worked in the cellars, and came to love their family business. It's no wonder that they are now playing a larger role and are being groomed to steward the company in to the future.

Each member of the "G4" brings his own approach and expertise to the business. Their collective expertise encompasses a range of talent and skills that will benefit every part of the family business - winemaking, management, engineering, finance, marketing and sales. This next generation remains committed to continuing to produce consistently delicious everyday wines from grapes that are 100 percent sourced from California vineyards, and sustainable farming techniques and winemaking practices that are more typically found with expensive wines. They are the first and only wines that are 100 percent "Made in USA Certified."

The G4 members of the iconic Mondavi family are in place to move the company forward while ensuring best wines and best practices with each bottle that carries their name.

You can find them online at CKMondavi.com, or on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram @CKMondaviWines.

Now dozens of companies are clamoring to have a piece of the fashion subscription box pie - and nearly all of them are achieving some level of success - whether it's small start-ups like Nadine West that cater to women only or Silicon Valley giant Stichfix, which just had a major IPO.

Yet virtually no one has addressed the most obvious need in the industry: a clothing service tailored for just big and tall men.

Nearly every single study ever published, including those from the Center for Disease Control, agree that American men are getting larger every year. To illustrate this point, consider this: the average American man has a waistline of 40 inches, yet it's unusually hard to find a variety in fashionable men's clothing with more than a 38-inch waistline.

To this point, it seems hard to believe that this market is only now truly being served, and first to market is a small, Austin, TX-based company called Maximus Box. (Clients can choose from three different subscription levels starting from $69 a month and stylists at Maximus Box then pick out and mail the clothes and accessories.)

Founder Wes Riddick says his own personal struggles with finding fashionable clothing for big and tall men were validated with research and Twitter surveys that summarized that half of all men and women in the plus-size category report difficulty with the shopping process, in terms of sizing and fit.

They would also prefer their clothes to be reasonably priced, and online shopping rates are typically too high in this category, according to the research and survey.

"I'm a big and tall man myself, but don't want to be relegated to ill-fitting or unfashionable clothes," Riddick says.

"Far too much of the big and tall clothing available was too boxy or had a lumberjack look that just doesn't appeal to me. I figured I couldn't be alone in this, so I created Maximus Box and offer fashion-forward clothing at low prices," says Riddick.

For more information, visit https://maximusbox.com/