(NewsUSA) -  

“The Midnight Call”
by Jode Millman       

Who would ever suspect that their mentor, teacher and friend is a cold-blooded killer? Attorney Jesse Martin didn’t -- at least not until she answers the midnight call.  

Late one August night, her mentor and popular high school teacher, Terrence Butterfield, calls, admits he's killed someone and pleads for Jessie's help. She rushes to his aid, unaware that she’s risking her love, career, life and that of her unborn child. Does Jessie’s presence at Terrance’s home implicate her in the gruesome murder of the teenage boy found in the basement? Why does Terrance betray Jessie? Follow Jessie’s quest to untangle the web of lies and uncover the shocking truth behind the homicide.

Purchase this new revamped edition at https://amzn.to/3R2Wjsf.

“Pandemonium: Live to All Devices”
by Bill Harvey  

From an Emmy Award-winning author, an all-too-possible near future in which the latest media/technology revolution triggers sudden unprecedented changes in world politics.  

Twenty years in the future ... a U.S. president seizes total control of all U.S. missiles, the power grid, the banking system, and every computer-like device in America, as he hides in a nuke-proof bunker while a robot version of himself sits in the Oval Office.  

Five psychic agents belong to a cosmic intelligence not of this Earth -- this is their hidden connection. They are up against Rebels in a hidden war. With the President under their control, the Rebel leader is hatching a plan to start WWIII. With the scope of Asimov and the prescience of Bradbury, Bill Harvey makes the greats proud.  

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

“Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex”
by Carole P. Roman  

Templeton Academy -- the superhero high school -- is finally open. The prestigious academy is recruiting the best of the best to enroll in its student body. The school is as mysterious as it is exclusive. Grady Whill thinks there is nothing special about him to make the grade. However, his best friend, Aarush Patel, has been selected and thinks Grady has the right stuff. Even school bully Elwood Bledsoe is attending.    

If Grady is fortunate enough to be picked, his guardian has forbidden him to attend. Will a family secret prevent Grady from becoming the superhero he was destined to be? From Carole P. Roman, the award-winning author of more than 50 children’s books, targeted for readers from 8 to 18 years.

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

“Breaking Arrows”
by Luis Figueredo  

An eight-year-old Indian child is dead. The innocent boy’s death is cruel, torturous and needless. Jeremiah Tiger, chief of the Kialegee Tribe, realizes he must fight for his impoverished tribe against the State of Oklahoma and the wealthy and influential Muscogee Nation.    

The battle is seemingly unwinnable. Jeremiah’s only option is to develop a tract of land in Broken Arrow that the Muscogee Nation claims to own.    

Jeremiah brings in tenacious attorney Pierce Evangelista to prove the Kialegees’ treaty rights to the land. Evangelista suspects that the Kialegee will struggle to withstand the blowback and unscrupulous tactics of Oklahoma politicians, the Muscogee Nation, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Jeremiah and Pierce face legal, unethical, and life-threatening conflicts. And the outcome will affect many people for generations to come.

Purchase at https://amzn.to/3LD1QmQ.

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

(NewsUSA) - Want an easy way to add fresh vegetables and herbs to your diet? Indoor hydroponic grower systems are a great way to eat more healthfully. The advanced technology in today’s systems makes it simple and satisfying to grow a garden at home even if you don’t have a green thumb—you don’t even need a yard.     

Other benefits of indoor hydroponic gardens: they are pollution-free, chemical-free, and care-free. No need to worry about how much and when to water; the smart sensors in today’s high-tech indoor gardens control automated watering. LED grow lights adjust to the right amount of light, so you can place your miniature greenhouse anywhere in your home. Research suggests that these smart indoor systems can grow hydroponic plants approximately 50% faster than they would grow outside, with nearly a third increase in yield. The aspara hydroponic Smart Grower from Growgreen is designed to grow vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers in your home, without worrying about dirt, pests, or weather.     

The aspara Growgreen device is engineered with the latest Internet of Things (IoT) wireless capabilities, and features its own app with guidelines for planting, as well as for remote monitoring and sharing progress with family and friends. The minimalist design blends into the aesthetics of any room.     

“We are thrilled to officially introduce aspara into the U.S. market - the ultimate ‘green thumb’ aid that enables users the ability to watch beautiful vegetables, herbs, fruits or flowers come to life, regardless of the season,” says Dr. Humphrey Leung, Founder and CEO of Growgreen. “We are committed to applying innovative technology and environmentally-friendly measures that enhance indoor planting, while also encouraging a healthy living lifestyle and solution that is good for the planet and society on a whole.” The team behind Growgreen includes passionate professionals from the agriculture and electronics fields who apply technology to enhance planting.     

The aspara kit also comes with a unique membership to the aspara Club, which offers one-to-one support, along with updates and information on seeds, plants, and seasonal promotions. The aspara device is now available on Amazon (https://amzn.to/3QPUHjX), and also other retailers in North America including Lowe’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, Macy’s, Wayfair, Kohl’s, HSN, Walmart, QVC and at www.grow-green.com/shop.     

For additional information, visit www.grow-green.com.  

(NewsUSA) - This holiday season, the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program celebrates its 75th year of delivering hope and joy to children in need across the Nation. U.S. Marines and volunteers will conduct more than 830 local toy collection and distribution campaigns in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, and U.S. Virgin Islands. In honor of the anniversary, Toys for Tots will highlight our extraordinary Reserve Marines, past and present, and show how the generosity from communities across the Nation has enabled Toys for Tots to support more than 281 million children in need.     

Every campaign season, Marines and volunteers engage with local businesses, media, and individuals in communities across the country to collect new, unwrapped toys and distribute these gifts to less fortunate children.     

“The mission of Marine Toys for Tots is to bring the joy of Christmas to less fortunate children with the goal of delivering a message of hope that will inspire youngsters to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens,” says Lieutenant General Jim Laster, USMC (Retired), President & CEO of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. “Now, in Toys for Tots’ 75th year, we are asking our supporters to make this important milestone another record-breaking year. It is our goal to deliver the magic of the holidays to every family seeking holiday help from Marine Toys for Tots,” he adds.     

The Marine Toys for Tots Program began in 1947 at the helm of Marine Corps Reserve Major Bill Hendricks and his wife, Diane, who asked Major Hendricks to deliver some handcrafted dolls to an agency that supported children in need. When he could not find such an agency, Diane encouraged her husband to “start one.” That year, Major Hendricks and the Marines in his local Reserve unit collected more than 5,000 toys to deliver to children in need in the Los Angeles area -- conducting the first Toys for Tots campaign.     

Seeing the impact that delivering toys to children in need had created around the community, the following year, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Clifton B. Cates, directed every Marine Corps Reserve unit to implement a Toys for Tots campaign-- which transformed Toys for Tots into a National Community Action Program.     

Last year, the Program fulfilled the holiday hopes and dreams of 8.7 million less fortunate children in over 830 communities Nationwide. Now, in our 75th year, the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program also provides support year-round to families experiencing challenges and exceptional circumstances, thus providing assistance to millions of children in need across the country at Christmas time and beyond. Help Toys for Tots provide hope and joy this holiday season to millions of impoverished children who otherwise might go without.  After all, anyone can be Santa!     

This year’s holiday campaign season kicks off on November 1 and goes through December 25. Visit toysfortots.org for more information or to find a campaign near you. Learn how you can help the Marine Toys for Tots Program bring hope and joy to children in need across the Nation! 

(NewsUSA) - By Alan Stewart, SVP, Medicare Divisional Leader, Humana - If you’re one of the nation’s 58.6 million people with Medicare, you understand the importance of selecting a health plan during the Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plan Annual Election Period (AEP) -- running from Oct. 15 - Dec. 7 -since the plan you select is the plan you’ll likely have for all of the coming year.     

There’s a lot to think about when looking at plan options and, fortunately, reliable resources are available to help you, like Medicare.gov and licensed insurance sales agents. Another trusted resource is the Star Ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

The Significance of the Star Ratings     

The Star Ratings Program is an annual assessment using about 40 measures to rate all Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug plans and drive health care quality improvement. One of the ways CMS determines ratings is through patient-satisfaction surveys. Medicare members receive questionnaires which aim to gather information about their health, experiences with their insurance, and the care they received from doctors and specialists. CMS takes this information, along with information submitted by the health plans on things like preventive care screenings, health condition management, and medication adherence, and calculates a rating for each plan, where one star is the lowest and five stars is the highest.   

Information from these surveys helps the government and various Medicare plans identify areas that can be enhanced, while also providing information that can be used in improvement activities, public reporting and health plan accountability. Star Ratings can also be a key factor for people who have Medicare to consider as they look at Medicare plans since there are several benefits to choosing a 4 or 5-star rated plan for healthcare coverage. Importantly, it provides insights into the strengths and weaknesses of plans based on the experiences shared from other Medicare members and physicians. Higher rated plans often include additional benefits, like dental, vision, and hearing coverage, and offer reduced premiums, co-pays, or deductibles.

What You Should Consider     

While you are looking at plan options to identify the best plan for your health needs, you may want to take into account the Star Ratings available on CMS.gov. Licensed sales agents can also provide the plan options in your area, answer your questions, and advise on the Star Ratings.     

While seeing what the ratings are this year, it’s also important to look at previous years’ scores to see how plans may have improved. For example, Humana received a 5 out of 5-star rating for three of its contracts for 2023 --which include HMO plans in Louisiana, Tennessee and Kentucky -- 96 percent of the company’s Medicare members are in plans rated 4 stars and above for 2023. This is a testament to the company’s focus on ensuring high quality of care, members getting their preventive care and reliable customer service for its members.

Looking Ahead     

If you enroll in a plan you aren’t happy with during the AEP, eligible individuals have the opportunity to switch to a 5-star plan during the 5-star Special Enrollment Period, which runs from Dec. 8, 2022 - Nov. 30, 2023.     

Finally, keep in mind that following health care appointments and throughout the year you could receive surveys from your physician, from Humana and from CMS. These surveys are all important, and, while similar, are used for different purposes and are your opportunity to provide feedback that will help improve the future of healthcare.

More Information

Humana is a Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO and PFFS organization and a stand-alone prescription drug plan with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in any Humana plan depends on contract renewal. Every year, Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-star rating system.   

(NewsUSA) - Professionally installed automotive window film (“auto tint”) may improve your ride in more ways beyond its curb appeal. Here are four more benefits of having window film installed, according to Darrell Smith of the International Window Film Association (IWFA).

More Safety     
While driving, the sun’s glare can enter from side windows to the left and right of the driver's eyes, causing the view ahead to be temporarily blocked. This may result in an accident and, if you are involved in one, window film may help protect the driver and passengers from flying glass pellets if the glass is broken. Window film provides a protective layer to help hold glass fragments together.

More Driving Range     
During warmer months, the sun heats up a car’s interior, requiring the air conditioner (A/C) to cycle more often to reach a comfortable cabin temperature. Research on the impact of window films on a vehicle's energy consumption showed the A/C ran less and used less energy, which inferred an improved driving range when compared to a vehicle without solar-heat-gain-reducing window films.     

By reducing the temperature in a car, window film helps save on fuel or electric use at no additional cost beyond the initial installation.

More Skin and Upholstery Protection     
Window films reduce the sun's harmful ultra-violet (UV) rays by 99 percent, and they’re a leading cause of skin and eye damage, which over time may increase the incidence of  skin cancers and cataracts. Not only may window film help protect the skin and eyes from UV rays, it may also extend the lifespan of a vehicle's interior by reducing the sun's impact on trims, plastic moldings, upholstery and seat coverings.

More Theft Protection     
Thieves are less likely to randomly break into a car if what’s inside is less visible or more difficult to obtain. When an item of value is easily spotted in a car, the temptation to smash a window and grab the item is greater for would-be thieves. Shattering the windows of random cars in the hope of finding something of value is a low-reward, high-risk activity. Window film acts as a deterrent by helping to hold the glass together, making it more difficult to both break-in and to see-in.     

Learn more about window film and find a local installer by visiting www.iwfa.com.

(NewsUSA) - Are you one of the 68 percent?  Or maybe even the 17 percent?

The former are those Americans who, despite the current economic uncertainty, intend to donate a similar amount of money to charity this year as they did in 2021, according to a new survey conducted by financial services firm Edward Jones with Morning Consult.  While the latter – kudos to you – are planning to dig even deeper into their pockets.  

Here's how to do it in a way that might be more advantageous when you file your taxes:

1. Take advantage of the upside of higher gas prices.  

So you, being a caring person, have decided to volunteer at a charity whose work you admire.  The IRS lets you deduct unreimbursed out-of-pocket expenses like the cost of gas for driving back and forth.

And with prices at the pump being what they are these days, the deduction might be worth more than any “gently used” clothes you donate to your local resale shop.

2. Act like your own charitable foundation.

Three words:  Donor-advised funds (DAF).  If you haven’t heard of them, you should.  According to a report by the Philanthropy Roundtable and American Enterprise Institute, they're the fastest growing option in charitable giving – no doubt because, as the report concluded, they “help to democratize philanthropy” by essentially acting as “small, personal foundations” for people who don’t have treasury secretaries on their speed dial.

Basically, with DAFs, you make an irrevocable contribution to the fund – whether cash, stock or other marketable securities, and you get to recommend grants/distributions to one or more of your favorite IRS-qualified public charities to support.  Maybe it’s your local homeless shelter. Or maybe it’s a religious institution.  

Whatever you decide, it’s a win-win situation:  You get an income tax deduction in the year of the contribution, the money you donated to the fund has the potential to grow over time and any investment growth is tax-free, expanding your charitable impact.

“DAFs can be a powerful tool for helping people make a positive impact in the world, which is something our survey found Millennials and GenZers are especially interested in,” says Zach Gildehaus, a senior analyst at Edward Jones, whose local financial advisors can help you figure out how best to incorporate charitable giving into your overall financial strategy through vehicles like a donor-advised fund.

3. Consider the RMD trap.

The IRS generally requires that traditional IRA holders take annual income withdrawals, known as required minimum distributions (RMDs), starting at age 72 even if they don’t want or need the money.  But that cash, which is subject to ordinary income tax, could put you into a higher tax bracket and adversely affect your Social Security payments and Medicare benefits.

And not taking your RMD can have serious consequences.  

“The IRS penalty for not withdrawing it is 50 percent of the amount not taken on time,” says Gildehaus.

One Strategy?  Folks age 70½ and older can make what’s known as a QCD (qualified charitable distribution).  That allows you to meet your RMD by instructing your IRA administrator to send as much as $100,000 a year from your account to an IRS-qualified charity, and – wait for it – not only would you then not have to pay taxes on the money since it’s going to a charity, but your RMD may be reduced in future years.

4.  Use caution when donating to political organizations or candidates.

Okay, so this is really more of a caution. Remember that 17 percent who said they intended to donate even more this year?  Well, 39 percent of them cited social/political issues as the catalysts. That, however, doesn’t mean any contribution you make to political organizations or candidates will score you a tax deduction.  They won’t.

*Edward Jones, its employees and financial advisors cannot provide tax or legal advice. You should consult your attorney or qualified tax advisor regarding your situation.