Author: Sam Allcock

Seemingly vying to appeal to the highest number of retiring individuals, each passing year presents a fresh ranking of the most desirable states for retirees. Past years saw states such as Florida, South Carolina, and Arizona consistently topping the lists. Recently, however, the landscape has fluctuated, with states gaining or losing allure based on various criteria including quality of life, affordable housing, reasonable healthcare costs, safety, and low taxation. Nonetheless, gauging the attractiveness of retirement states solely from an isolated annual ranking might not yield a precise portrait. It might fail to show whether these high-ranking states truly offer the…

The allure of entrepreneurship captivates many: the autonomy of being your own boss, the satisfaction of earning independently, and the ambition to make it big. Yet, beyond this enticing veneer lies a less discussed truth. Many entrepreneurs, having poured their resources and countless hours into their ventures, confront a stark reality that exiting involves more than just financial costs; it also means grappling with personal pride and the challenge of starting over. A recent survey by Latenode.com involving 3,000 small business owners illuminates this issue. An astonishing 46% of small business owners expressed a desire to leave their businesses, but…

14% of insufficient sleepers are seeking to self-medicate with sleeping pills, data reveals. Sleepless in… America: 14% of insomniacs self-medicate with sleeping pills, data reveals. After a night spent tossing and turning in bed instead of getting the recommended 7 hours of shut-eye, many people are familiar with the zombie-like state that follows the next day – and would do everything in their power to avoid this feeling of exhaustion. In fact, a report found that just between mid-February and mid-March of 2020, there was an overall 14.8% increase in prescription sleep medications in the U.S. Lack of sleep can be caused by things like…

Virginia places 3rd in state ranking of safe, ‘Grade A’ healthcare accessibility, data reveals. It’s a scary statistic that over 22,000 deaths in the U.S. each year are a result of preventable deaths during patient hospitalization. Medical error often involves factors such as poor management or monitoring of medical conditions, errors linked to surgery and other procedures, and diagnostic errors; and while healthcare workers are dedicated to their medical duties, these errors may also be related to things like short-staffing, system defects or error in judgement. Duffy & Duffy, a medical malpractice law firm, used the ‘Hospital Safety Grade’, along…

Any college football fan would have picked up on the recent Supreme Court’s landmark decision, which upended a decades-old NCAA model that considered college athletes as strictly amateurs, unable to be remunerated for playing their chosen sport. While the ruling still forbids salaries, it does allow college athletes to benefit financially in other ways. This could end up meaning athletes capitalizing monetarily on their celebrity status. Supreme Justice Kavanaugh described it as ”an important and overdue course correction.”  While the court’s decision did categorically rule out salaries, it does beg the question—hypothetically, if they were to receive salaries, how much would…

A new study of 3,000 respondents by HelloPharmacist has found that the average New Mexican believes they will only live until the age of 71 – a full 6 years below the state average* (76.9), and 7 years below the national life expectancy. Turns out, the people in the Land of Enchantment were the least optimistic in America about their longevity.  When you delve a bit deeper, there are actually several reasons that New Mexicans may be justified in not being that confident of hitting their state life expectancy: Life expectancy in New Mexico has consistently been below the national average, with…

Leading economists have been warning for decades that a shrinking population spells significant turmoil for our economy and broader society. This is not a problem exclusive to the United States either – for example, South Korea, a country with one of the lowest fertility rates, is offering new parents cheaper mortgage rates to encourage them to have children (at 1-3% lower than commercial banks), as well as several other initiatives. High inflation has long been identified as a deterrent to couples having more children, which is understandable. The more expensive the cost of living, the less likely people will want…

Outdoor lifestyle brand Rodd & Gunn is expanding its physical footprint in the UK.The company recently opened three new standalone stores outside London, marking a strategic growth phase.Locations include Edinburgh, Bath, and Winchester, each offering unique retail spaces.Rodd & Gunn aims to leverage strong consumer affinity and robust online presence for further expansion.The brand plans to continue its growth trajectory, eyeing as many as 40 new sites in the next five years.Rodd & Gunn, the renowned outdoor lifestyle brand, has taken a significant step in its expansion strategy by opening three new standalone stores outside of London. This move is…

John Lewis is set to relaunch its historic “Never Knowingly Undersold” price promise this September.The pledge, paused in August 2022, will now include both physical and online retailers.Prices of products will be matched with 25 competitors, including major players like Amazon and Marks & Spencer.Customers will have a 7-day window to claim refunds for price differences, a change from the previous 28-day period.This initiative is part of John Lewis’s substantial marketing campaign, highlighting its unique position in the retail sector.John Lewis has announced the revival of its long-standing “Never Knowingly Undersold” price promise, which is set to return on 9…

As discussions continue over a potential ‘scaled back’ Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, one much-loved feature from a previous tournament is already making an unexpected return. An abandoned Commonwealth tartan is set for a surprise revival, having been transformed into luxury fashion accessories more than 50 years after it was first commissioned. As the delayed decision on the host city for the 2026 Games is eagerly awaited—particularly with Glasgow being tipped as the most likely candidate—the treasured tartan from the 1970 Edinburgh Games is already making its way back into the limelight. Around 100 metres of the fabric were discovered as…