(NewsUSA) - Are you curious about motorcycles but have never had a chance to ride? Those interested can enjoy a unique opportunity in Las Vegas on November 3 starting at noon at SEMA Fest. For the first time ever, the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), is hosting an event open to the public following the SEMA Show, a premier trade event for the automotive industry.

SEMA Fest is a celebration of music, motorsports, and car culture, and SEMA Fest attendees are welcome to experience the Motorcycle Industry Council’s Ride With Us Moto Intro at no additional cost. The motorcycles, safety gear, and coaches are provided for this first-class, first-ride experience so that participants can get a taste of the joys of motorcycling in a supportive and controlled environment.

“Ride With Us inspires potential riders to take the next step to becoming a licensed motorcyclist,” said Cinnamon Kernes, MIC’s vice president of market expansion. “The entire experience — from sign-in to actually riding, with high-fives, and huge smiles — takes about 20 minutes. Many people are amazed at how approachable motorcycle riding can be.”

During the Ride With Us Moto Intro experience, each rider is paired up with a Motorcycle Safety Foundation-certified coach who accompanies them every step of the way, allowing the new riders to go at their own pace.

Ride With Us Moto Intros help people who have never ridden a motorcycle get their first taste of being behind the handlebars, operating the throttle, clutch, and steering. For many, this event may be the first step into the larger world of motorcycle riding.

“At the end, you will be able to start, stop, and ride around our course with confidence,” Kernes says.

The Moto Intro experience will also be at the SEMA Show, October 31 to November 2, and is free for all show attendees. The general public is invited to participate at SEMA Fest on November 3. Tickets for SEMA Fest can be purchased at www.semafest.com.

The Ride With Us Moto Intro experience will take place at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds during SEMA Fest and at the Las Vegas Convention Center during SEMA Show.

Visit www.RideWithUs.com for more information.

(NewsUSA) - Across the Nation,41% of children in the United States live at or below the poverty level. These children face obstacles and hardships every day of the year, and their parents struggle to provide even basic necessities. As the holiday season approaches, these parents feel the effects of record-high inflation more than ever, and they simply lack the means to buy gifts for their bright-eyed and hopeful children.

Marine Toys for Tots, known by most as the flagship children’s Christmastime charity, has expanded its mission and now provides year-round joy, comfort, and hope to economically disadvantaged children across the Nation through the gift of a new toy, book or game.

“As part of our Program’s year-round mission, we continue to look for ways to provide comfort and emotional relief to children living in poverty,” says LtGen Jim Laster, CEO of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.

The need continues throughout the year, not only during the holiday season.  This month, Marine Toys for Tots encourages supporters to contribute in honor of Child Poverty Day, which took place on October 17, and be part of a better, brighter chapter in the lives of economically disadvantaged children.

 “Today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders, and together we can provide hope for a brighter tomorrow and remind them that, no matter their circumstances, no doors are closed to them in life,” says LtGen Laster.

With your support, Marine Toys for Tots helps children expand their horizons and provides them with the tools they need to learn and grow. That’s the unparalleled power of play: its ability to stretch imaginations, spur development, and help America’s children dream big.

With any donation, you provide educational books, toys, games, and other gifts that children in need would never have access to otherwise. In the short term, you will provide an immediate boost to the quality of life for these children; in the long term, you will show them that they matter, and that there is hope for a brighter future.

Visit toysfortots.org for more information. The support you provide today will bring joy to the lives, nourishment to the minds, and hope to the hearts of our Nation’s children!

(NewsUSA) - Too many women and men with painful gut symptoms are ignored and belittled, even though gut-brain disorders affect 40 percent of Americans.

Dr. Douglas Drossman is a world-renowned gastroenterologist and psychiatrist, and Johannah Ruddy is a patient educator and advocate. Together, they are the authors of three books on Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBI) in which readers will get answers to their own important health questions, learn to take charge of their health, and make positive changes.

Their first book, GUT FEELINGS: Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction and the Patient-Doctor Relationship, details Ruddy’s arduous, 10-year health journey and how she faced disbelief and even mockery by the medical establishment as she desperately sought help. The physician who finally helped Ruddy was Dr. Drossman. This book is also a primer to explain and categorize DGBI and introduce training in communication skills to optimize the patient-provider relationship.

The second book, GUT FEELINGS: The Patient’s Story— Personal Accounts of the Illness Journey takes readers into the patient’s world through their narrative accounts of struggling with their illness experience and messages on how they achieved recovery or adaptation under Dr. Drossman’s care.

The recently released third book in the trilogy, GUT FEELINGS: Doctors and Patient-Centered Care, contains the stories of providers. It gives the narratives of 14 caregivers who are experts in delivering patient-centered, compassionate care for patients with DGBI.

This new book GUT FEELINGS: Doctors and Patient-Centered Care, builds upon our understanding of DGBIs, how these disorders affect real people, and what doctors can do to truly help these patients. And it all begins with educated patients and empathetic doctors willing to partner in the care.

“It takes a special kind of person to ‘swim upstream’ and work in a discipline not fully understood and even disparaged by teachers and peers in medicine and gastroenterology,” says Dr. Drossman. “We need to understand those individuals. Accordingly, we have selected 14 scientists and providers in neurogastroenterology that excel in providing compassionate care to patients with DGBI and even enjoy working with them. The authors we selected are leaders in this emerging field.”

The GUT FEELINGS trilogy is an expertly sourced exploration of the little-known relationship between the brain and the gut. Each volume of GUT FEELINGS stands on its own, but reading all three delivers the greatest impact for understanding these disorders and learning how to care for these patients. It also explores how to improve medicine in general by raising awareness of the mind-body connection and the advantages of making this holistic viewpoint part of the national health conversation.

“Hope is something that is very difficult to come by when you are plagued with a chronic illness for which no test results seem to confirm a diagnosis, and DGBIs fall into this category,” writes Don W. Powell, MD, Professor Emeritus Internal Medicine/Gastroenterology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, in the book’s Foreword. “Patients with DGBIs are frequently misdiagnosed or, worse, dismissed entirely by doctors. That’s why GUT FEELINGS was literally a life-changing experience for me. Like millions of Americans, for many years I have been suffering from what turned out to be a DGBI. The book put me on a path toward managing my illness.”

To learn more, visit https://www.gutfeelings.org/.

(NewsUSA) - In the ongoing battle against COVID-19, vaccines have been successful in helping to reduce illness and contributing to the declining numbers of infections in the U.S. and around the world. But COVID-19 is not gone, and it remains a significant threat. Those with weakened immune systems, chronic illnesses and other risk factors are particularly vulnerable to severe illness from the virus.

While vaccines are still the best first defense against COVID-19, antiviral treatments have emerged as another powerful tool to help fight the virus and protect those who face greater risk of severe illness and hospitalization from COVID-19.

Who’s at Risk?

Millions of Americans face a higher risk of developing severe COVID-19, and many may not even know it. Being age 50 or over, or having a host of common health conditions including cancer, asthma, diabetes, heart disease, and weakened immune systems can make someone more likely to experience severe COVID-19 symptoms.

Treatments Are Available

The good news is that, for many of those at high risk who become infected with COVID-19 and have mild to moderate symptoms, antivirals can be a safe and effective treatment option. Antivirals work by helping to stop the virus from making copies of itself. This can help limit the spread of the virus inside the body — minimizing the severity of symptoms and the duration of the illness.

The need for speed is a fundamental principle underlying antiviral treatments for COVID-19. When someone at high risk becomes infected with COVID-19, the virus can spread rapidly within their body, which can cause severe respiratory problems and complications. This is where antiviral treatments may be able to help. Treatment with COVID-19 antivirals is most effective if it starts within the first five to seven days that the first COVID-19 symptoms appear.

But antivirals are not for everyone. They are not recommended for people who are younger, healthy and not at high risk of getting severely ill due to COVID-19, and there are certain health conditions and medications that are known to cause adverse reactions with antiviral treatments. Talk with a healthcare provider to know if an antiviral treatment is an option.

Plan Ahead

For anyone at high risk for severe COVID-19, acting quickly when infection happens, and planning ahead will be key to getting the treatment they may need. Begin by planning:

• Making a list of current medications,
• Talking with a healthcare provider to understand the risk for severe COVID-19 and discuss potential treatment options, and
• Creating a plan to get tested and begin treatment at the first sign of a COVID-19 infection and before the 5–7-day window of opportunity closes.

Why Speed Matters

• Stop the Virus from Multiplying: The earlier someone starts antiviral treatment, the better chance they have to lower the level of virus in their body, which can make a difference in their recovery.
• Minimize Severe Symptoms: Quick action can help prevent mild symptoms from turning severe – potentially preventing a hospital stay.
• Limit the Impact of COVID-19 on Your Life: Speedy treatment can shorten the time you are sick, easing the burden of the virus on your life and getting you back to usual.
• Helping to Protect Others: High-risk individuals not only face danger themselves but can also unknowingly spread the virus to others. Rapid treatment helps break the chain of transmission.

Remember, timing matters in reducing the risks of COVID-19 and planning ahead can make the difference in the lives of those most vulnerable.

Visit covidvaccineproject.org/treatments to make a plan for yourself or someone that matters to you today.

(NewsUSA) - En la batalla en curso contra COVID-19 las vacunas han tenido éxito en ayudar a reducir la enfermedad y contribuir a la disminución del número de infecciones en los EE. UU. y alrededor del mundo. Pero COVID-19 no se ha ido, y sigue siendo una amenaza significativa. Aquellos con sistemas inmunológicos debilitados, enfermedades crónicas y otros factores de riesgo son particularmente vulnerables a enfermedades graves por el virus.

Si bien las vacunas siguen siendo la mejor primera defensa contra COVID-19, los tratamientos antivirales han surgido como otra herramienta poderosa para ayudar a combatir el virus y proteger a aquellos que enfrentan un mayor riesgo de enfermedad grave y hospitalización por COVID-19.

¿Quién está en riesgo?

Millones de estadounidenses enfrentan un mayor riesgo de desarrollar COVID-19 severo, y muchos ni siquiera lo saben. Tener 50 años o más, o tener una serie de condiciones de salud comunes, incluyendo cáncer, asma, diabetes, enfermedades del corazón y sistemas inmunológicos debilitados pueden hacer que alguien sea más propenso a experimentar síntomas graves de COVID-19.

Los tratamientos están disponibles
La buena noticia es que, para muchos de aquellos en alto riesgo que se infectan con COVID-19 y tienen síntomas leves a moderados, los antivirales pueden ser una opción de tratamiento segura y efectiva. Los antivirales funcionan ayudando a detener la replicación del virus. Esto puede ayudar a limitar la propagación del virus dentro del cuerpo, minimizando la gravedad de los síntomas y la duración de la enfermedad.

La importancia de la rapidez es un principio fundamental subyacente en los tratamientos antivirales para COVID-19. Cuando alguien con alto riesgo se infecta con COVID-19, el virus puede propagarse rápidamente dentro de su cuerpo, lo que puede causar problemas respiratorios graves y complicaciones. Aquí es donde los tratamientos antivirales pueden ser capaces de ayudar. El tratamiento con antivirales para COVID-19 es más efectivo si comienza dentro de los primeros cinco a siete días desde que aparecen los primeros síntomas de COVID-19.

Pero los antivirales no son para todos. No se recomiendan para personas que son jóvenes, saludables y no corren un alto riesgo de enfermarse gravemente debido a COVID-19, y hay ciertas condiciones de salud y medicamentos que se sabe que causan reacciones adversas con los tratamientos antivirales. Hable con un proveedor de atención médica para saber si un tratamiento antiviral es una opción.

Planificar con anticipación

Para cualquiera que tenga un alto riesgo de COVID-19 grave, actuar rápidamente cuando ocurra una infección y planificar con anticipación será clave para obtener el tratamiento que pueda necesitar. Comience por planificar:

• Hacer una lista de medicamentos actuales
• Hablar con un proveedor de atención médica para entender el riesgo de COVID-19 grave y discutir las posibles opciones de tratamiento
• Crear un plan para hacerse la prueba y comenzar el tratamiento al primer signo de una infección por COVID-19 y antes de que se cierre la ventana de oportunidad de 5 a 7 días

Por qué importa la rapidez

• Detener la multiplicación del virus: Cuanto antes alguien comienza el tratamiento antiviral, mejor oportunidad tendrá de reducir el nivel del virus en su cuerpo, lo cual puede marcar una diferencia en su recuperación.
• Minimizar los síntomas graves: La acción rápida puede ayudar a prevenir que los síntomas leves se vuelvan graves, potencialmente evitando una estancia hospitalaria.
• Limitar el impacto del COVID-19 en su vida: El tratamiento rápido puede acortar el tiempo que esté enfermo, aliviando la carga del virus en su vida y permitiéndole volver a la normalidad.
• Ayudar a proteger a otros: Las personas con alto riesgo no sólo enfrentan peligro ellos mismos sino que también pueden propagar el virus sin saberlo a otros. El tratamiento rápido ayuda a romper la cadena de transmisión.

Recuerde, el tiempo importa en la reducción de los riesgos del COVID-19 y planificar con anticipación puede marcar la diferencia en las vidas de los más vulnerables.

Visite covidvaccineproject.org/treatments para hacer un plan para usted o para alguien que le importe hoy.

(NewsUSA) - Interest rates have soared dramatically, raising the cost of buying anything on credit. For example, over the past two years, mortgage rates have more than doubled, adding hundreds or thousands of dollars to monthly payments. At the same time, high interest rates offer new opportunities for earning an attractive return on savings. With rates expected to stay high, now is the time to consult a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^™ professional who can help you find ways to earn more interest while paying less.

The Basics: What Are Interest Rates?

Nobody lends money without wanting all of the principal back — and more. The “more” is the interest rate you pay. It’s the price of money, and it can add up quickly. For example, if you have $10,000 in credit card debt and you take five years to pay it off with a 20% interest rate, you’ll pay $5,896 in interest. On the other hand, if you paid off the credit card with a five-year, 10% personal loan, you’d pay only $2,748 in interest — a savings of $3,148. That’s just one strategy among many that a CFP^® professional can customize to your particular financial situation.

Earn More Interest With These Three Letters: APY

The annual percentage yield (APY) is used to compare the rates paid on savings accounts and some checking accounts. Look at the APY number, not the interest rate number. Two banks may have the same posted interest rate but pay different amounts of interest. Here’s how: Bank No. 1 pays interest everyday on your principal and the interest you earned previously. That’s called daily compound interest. Bank No. 2 compounds interest only monthly. The financial institution that pays compound interest daily will have a higher APY.  

Is your money sitting in a bank earning an interest rate of one-tenth of 1%? Many people are making that mistake. Would you like to earn far more interest? A CFP^® professional can help you review options.

Make Smart Money Moves With a CFP^® Professional

Some interest payments are tax deductible while others are not. A CFP^® professional can figure out whether it makes sense to shift some of your borrowings to the tax-deductible category and save you money.

The Impact of Interest Rates on Investing

High interest rates affect stocks, bonds, real estate and other investment markets, and some investments are more resilient than others in high-interest rate environments. That is where the insights of your CFP^® professional can improve your portfolio’s performance.

Whether you want to pay less interest or earn more, a CFP^® professional can guide you to better outcomes during a time of high interest rates. Find your CFP^® professional today.