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Meeting someone new for the first time can be an exciting experience but also a nerve-racking one. In the digital age, where many connections first begin online, a bit of premeet verification has become a matter of both common sense and common courtesy. Despite common belief, taking the time to research someone before meeting in real life is not about distrusting the other person. It’s about ensuring that all parties feel safe, confident, and genuinely ready to enjoy a date.

Spokeo assembled 10 premeet checklist items developed by reviewing data from Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, Business Insider, and other top sources to ensure you stay safe while having fun.

Premeet checklist

Staying safe when meeting a new person requires both due diligence and communication, two focus areas aided by the following 10 tips:

1. Start with social media verification (3-5 days before)

Before the first date, it’s perfectly acceptable to do a quick social media scan to confirm whether the person you’re chatting with matches who they say they are. When looking across different platforms—including Instagram, Facebook, X, and even LinkedIn—try to find consistent details such as names, photos, and mutual connections that verify what you already know.

This step can not only help you feel more confident but also give you a chance to spot potential red flags. Try not to snoop too far and stick to just verifying the basics to give yourself peace of mind.

2. Request a brief video or phone call (2-3 days before)

Scheduling a short video chat ahead of a meetup is an easy and effective way to confirm a person’s authenticity, as well as gauge your chemistry with them. This natural step is something that most people welcome, as it typically takes no longer than five minutes. Aim to keep it casual to confirm that your match is genuine and to get a quick read on their energy.

3. Ask for their last name (if not already shared)

Exchanging last names before a first meetup is normal, not nosy, yet it’s a step many people fail to take. Even though you may be able to find it on your own by researching, asking shows strong communication and will allow you to confirm their identity with more certainty. You can keep things simple with a light, “By the way, I just realized I haven’t caught your last name yet. What is it?” If someone seems hesitant to share their last name even after meaningful conversations, it could be a sign to pause.

4. Confirm the venue and time (the day before)

The day before your date, send a brief message confirming both the time and place. This polite follow-up message will allow the other person to see your enthusiasm while also remaining confident that you aren’t going to ghost them. It also gives both of you the opportunity to adjust the plan if something unexpected happens at the last minute.

5. Share your plans with someone you trust (

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On Dec. 15, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources scheduled 15 bills for markup, the final stage for making amendments before voting on advancing a bill to the full Senate. Included in that slate is a modest-sounding proposal introduced last May called the Brian Head Town Land Conveyance Act.

The bill, introduced by Utah Sens. Mike Lee (R) and John Curtis (R), would transfer roughly 24 acres of the Dixie National Forest to a small Utah town with an ambitious plan for growth. “Brian Head is poised to become the next great Western ski town,” Sen. Curtis said in a news release last spring. “This bill gives local officials the tools they need—free from federal red tape—to meet their community’s growing needs.”

On paper, the bill is narrow (it weighs in at just 274 words), technical, and local—the kind of housekeeping legislation that might typically move quietly through Congress. Supporters describe the proposal as pragmatic. Brian Head (population: 151), they argue, needs land to support basic municipal services as it grows. Land transfers aren’t that uncommon, either. The Bureau of Land Management disposes of a few thousand to tens of thousands of acres every year. This parcel is much smaller than that, isolated, and of limited federal management value. From this perspective, continued federal ownership of the land surrounding Brian Head is inefficient, and local control is simply common sense.

But according to Re:Public, while the amount of land in question may be small, the implications of this bill reach well beyond the boundaries of a small Utah town. Most notably, the bill directs the U.S. Forest Service to convey the land to Brian Head at no cost. That represents a radical departure from typical federal land transfers, which normally require payment, a land exchange of equal value, or, at the very least, an administrative process that includes environmental review and public input. None of those guardrails are in place with this bill. By legislating the transfer outright, Lee and Curtis are effectively short-circuiting debate and denying compensation to American taxpayers.

A more normal land transfer would also require the parcel to be used by the town for a specific purpose, using what’s known as a “reversionary clause” to enforce the mandate. If the land isn’t used for the specific purpose outlined in the transfer agreement—a town water treatment facility, say, or a parking lot—the reversionary clause would ensure ownership of the land reverts back to the federal government.

But there’s no reversionary clause in play here. The Brian Head bill doesn’t even demand that the town use the gifted land for a public works project. Rather, it states that the land is “to be used by the Town for a public works facility or any other uses determined to be necessary by the Town.” As critics point out, without requiring a specific use, the town of Brian He

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The holidays are full of sights, sounds, and scents that can evoke strong memories, from stringing lights up with the family to hearing the faint tune of “Jingle Bells.” As travel days and family dinners begin to stack up this holiday season, the last thing you want is to be pulled out of your nostalgia by the harsh ping and buzz of a modern phone. PeopleWin has put together this list of classic 2000s ringtones, along with some tips to maximize family time, so you’re sure to stay in the holiday mood this season.

Iconic 2000s ringtones

When it comes to the holidays, few ringtones evoke as many memories as some classic options from the 2000s.

1. The Nokia tune (‘Grande Valse’)

This instantly recognizable little melody comes from an excerpt from Spanish guitarist and composer Francisco Tárrega’s 1902 piece “Gran Vals,” as outlined by the popular radio station ClassicFM. Specifically, the ringtone portion comes from bars 13-16. First bundled with a Nokia handset back in 1994, this ringtone went global as the sound of a mobile phone. Today, it may cause you to reminisce on that playful and nostalgic era.

2. iPhone marimba (the original)

For many who had the first iPhone, the ringtone is instantly recognizable. The classic “marimba” default tone quickly became a part of mainstream culture. While Apple never officially credited a composer, one theory, as outlined by HowStuffWorks, posits it was produced by Apple’s in-house sound team through GarageBand. Setting this as your holiday notification can bring about a smile of recognition to many.

3. Polyphonic holiday carols (‘Deck the Halls,’ ‘Jingle Bells’)

Back in the early 2000s, before smartphones ruled, many phones offered polyphonic renditions of popular songs such as “Deck the Halls” or “Jingle Bells.” Using a simple holiday carol as your notification sound this season can be a festive twist, especially if you pair it with a ringtone that clearly begs attention but also stays on the seasonal and lighthearted side.

4. The Nextel chirp (push-to-talk)

Anyone who used a Nextel or older PTT phone remembers the distinct chirp sound of a call beginning. While the exact tone can be hard to find, recreating a short slide-chirp or buzzer-style sound can be a fun reference to the era. This nod to nostalgia will be unlikely to feel intrusive when used as a less frequent alert, allowing you to enjoy others’ company while remembering the good times.

5. Custom contact ringtones (know who’s calling before you look)

One modern upgrade to consider this holiday season is to assign specific ringtones to your most important contacts. This way, even if you silence your phone during dinner, you’ll know right away if someone important is calling if you have the breakthrough feature enabled. The tone you choose can still carry one of your nostalgic ringtones

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Running a small business has its fair share of risks. To help owners and entrepreneurs understand emerging threats in 2026 and how to prepare, NEXT compiled a list with insights from experts in claims, underwriting, AI and insurance products.

This article identifies the biggest challenges you need to watch out for, what types of businesses will be most affected and the practical steps you can take right now to protect your business.

1. AI misuse and lack of governance could increase your exposure

Businesses most likely to be affected by AI risks:

• Any business that uses AI tools to produce client-facing work
• Businesses using AI for marketing content
• Businesses using AI tools for proposals or quoting
• Consultants producing deliverables or advice
• Professional services including accountants, lawyers, IT consultants, software developers and creative professionals

This is perhaps the singular biggest blind spot of 2026: Small businesses using AI tools without governance could lead to wrong client deliverables, privacy breaches and IP leakage.

There’s no doubt that AI is helping small businesses move faster — creating marketing materials, generating invoices, interpreting data and more. But without proper oversight or controls, these tools can introduce serious risk that can lead to client disputes, reputational harm and financial loss.

“AI can be incredibly helpful, but you still need strong review processes in place to make sure its outputs are accurate, secure and aligned with what your customers expect, or you risk costly losses,” says Julie Roseland, head of commercial liability claims at NEXT.

“As more small businesses turn to generative AI for things like ads, social media posts and other content, we’ll see new vulnerabilities emerge in 2026. When those tools produce material that isn’t fully reviewed, the risk of defamation, copyright infringement, false advertising or other misrepresentations increases.”

And don’t make the mistake of thinking AI risk is limited to tech-forward companies like software developers or marketing consultants. Imagine a construction firm sending proposals, retail businesses generating automated responses to customers or restaurants using AI tools to create promotional content.

Any company that uses generative AI to draft emails, reports, invoices, marketing content or customer communications can inadvertently push out incorrect, harmful or copyrighted material.

How small businesses can mitigate AI risks and liability:

• Train employees on privacy and data handling
• Require human review on all AI-generated content (including review by licensed or credentialed professionals when possible)
• Review client agreements for liability language
• Add professional liability insurance to help protect your business from some of the costs of professional errors

2. Cyber incidents could cau

Francisco Kjolseth // The Salt Lake Tribune

On a Monday, Gov. Spencer Cox stood in front of a crowd at the Salt Lake International Airport as Olympic officials unveiled both the official name and the transitional logo for the 2034 Winter Games. By Tuesday morning, the governor was standing in front of a room full of reporters and joking that the Utah 2034 logo had already fulfilled its purpose.

“It’s really brought people together,” he said, “because everyone seems to not like it.”

The logo has been controversial at best, widely panned at worst. It’s designed with a blocky font that mimics shapes found in Utah’s landscape — the most obvious of which is the “A” that replicates the contour of Delicate Arch. Commenters on social media sites and news articles have quipped it’s the same font used in CAPTCHAs or their fourth-grade book reports. Others complain it’s ugly or simply difficult to read.

To which its designers say: Try looking at it through a different pair of eyes.

The creators of the Utah 2034 transitional logo conferred with athletes with vision disabilities to, they say, make it as impactful as possible for as many people as possible in as many places as possible. They’ve created a piece that they say reflects the local Olympic and Paralympic committee’s whole-state approach to the 2034 Winter Games. And, they’ve done it all while working within the strict parameters set by the International Olympic Committee for transitional logos — which, in and of themselves, are fairly new.

Plus, noted Nate Morley, the lead designer, it’s art. It’s meant to be provocative.

“Art is subjective. And some people like things, and some people don’t like things. And that’s totally to be expected, and we certainly appreciate that,” Morley, a Utahn whose company, Works Collective, also designed the LA28 Olympic logo, told The Salt Lake Tribune. “I think the intent is to learn kind of why the logo looks the way it looks — what it’s meant to represent — and build that.”

The shape inside the zero, for instance, is evocative of a pictograph, according to a website local Olympic organizers launched to explain the controversial wordmark. The curves of the number two mimic those of a winding mountain road. When stacked, its letters and numbers form a checkerboard pattern reminiscent of Utah’s street grids.

Yet the design goes even deeper than that, said Danelle Umstead, an athlete with low vision.

“Every Olympic logo gets backlash,” Umstead, a four-time Paralympian, said in a text. “People forget that logos aren’t created to be trendy — they’re designed to be recognizable for decades, across stadiums, uniforms, merchandise, tiny smartphone screens, and global broadcasts.

“A lot of the early criticism focused on aesthetics alone, without understanding that accessibility was part of the design story.”

And that is a process into whi