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Student-loan debt in the U.S. has now crossed the $1.8 trillion mark. That magnitude means one thing: you’re not alone.

Debt doesn’t define you. But how you deal with it absolutely can.

Borrowers who take one small, proactive step—by checking their rate, exploring refinancing, or simply understanding their options—often describe the same feeling afterward. Relief. Clarity. Control. And while refinancing a federal loan means giving up certain federal benefits like income-driven repayment, forgiveness programs, or specific deferment options, in some situations it can still be worth it. Confidence with money doesn’t come from being debt-free overnight; it comes from understanding it and knowing what to do next.

Earnest shares three actions to take to help gain control of your student loans instead of feeling controlled by them.

1. Face your numbers—gently.

Avoiding your loan balance might feel like the easiest path, but unfortunately, the old cliché is true: Knowledge really is power. A clear view, even if it’s uncomfortable, is the first step to regaining control. Start simple: Check your total balance, interest rate, and monthly payment. Write them down. That act alone turns a vague worry into something you can work with.

Borrowers can be surprised by what they find. Some realize they’ve already made more progress than they thought. Others discover they’re on a longer repayment term than expected—or, frustratingly, that their interest rate is much higher than today’s market averages for borrowers with similar credit.

And remember: You’re one of over 43 million Americans with student-loan debt, so showing up and looking at your numbers puts you in good company.

2. Look for breathing room, not perfection.

The goal isn’t flawless finances; it’s forward motion. If your monthly payments feel too high or your rate feels outdated, take time to explore whether refinancing could make sense for you.

Refinancing your student loans allows you to replace one or more existing loans with a new one—often at a lower interest rate or with new repayment terms. That can help save money on interest, pay off your loans faster, or reduce your monthly payment. A longer term may lower your monthly payment but increase total interest, while a shorter term may raise your payment but reduce overall interest. If refinancing frees up even a little each month, that money can be redirected toward other goals like saving, investing, or paying down higher-interest debt. But the real shift goes beyond the numbers—it’s emotional. Refinancing can be the moment borrowers stop feeling “stuck” and

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For decades, corn has reigned over American agriculture. It sprawls across 90 million acres — about the size of Montana — and goes into everything from livestock feed and processed foods to the ethanol blended into most of the nation’s gasoline.

But a growing body of research reveals that America’s obsession with corn has a steep price: The fertilizer used to grow it is warming the planet and contaminating water.

Corn is essential to the rural economy and to the world’s food supply, and researchers say the problem isn’t the corn itself. It’s how we grow it.

Corn farmers rely on heavy fertilizer use to sustain today’s high yields. And when that nitrogen breaks down in the soil, it releases nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas nearly 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Producing nitrogen fertilizer also emits large amounts of carbon dioxide, adding to its climate footprint.

Agriculture accounts for more than 10% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, and corn uses more than two-thirds of all nitrogen fertilizer nationwide — making it the leading driver of agricultural nitrous oxide emissions, studies show.

The corn and ethanol industries insist that rapid growth in ethanol — which now consumes more than 40% of the U.S. corn crop — is a net environmental benefit, and they strongly dispute research suggesting otherwise.

Since 2000, U.S. corn production has surged almost 50%, further adding to the crop’s climate impact.

Yet the environmental costs of corn rarely make headlines or factor into political debates. Much of the dynamic traces back to federal policy — and to the powerful corn and ethanol lobby that helped shape it.

The Renewable Fuel Standard, passed in the mid-2000s, required that gasoline be blended with ethanol, a biofuel that in the United States comes almost entirely from corn. That mandate drove up demand and prices for corn, spurring farmers to plant more of it.

Many plant corn year after year on the same land. The practice, called “continuous corn,” demands massive amounts of nitrogen fertilizer and drives especially high nitrous oxide emissions.

At the same time, federal subsidies make it more lucrative to grow corn than to diversify. Taxpayers have covered more than $50 billion in corn insurance premiums over the past 30 years, according to federal data compiled by the Environmental Working Group.

Researchers say proven conservation steps — such as planting rows of trees, shrubs and grasses in corn fields — could sharply reduce these emissions. But the Trump administration has eliminated many of the incentives that helped farmers try such practices.

Experts say it all raises a larger question: If America’s most widely planted crop is worsening climate change, shouldn’t we begin growing it a different way?

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When the flu strikes, one of the biggest concerns is how long you might be contagious. Knowing this can help protect your family, friends, and coworkers from catching the virus. This guide from Doctronic.ai breaks down exactly how long you can spread the flu and what you can do to minimize the risk.

It is crucial to recognize that the contagious period can vary significantly among individuals, influenced by factors such as age, overall health, and the specific illness in question. For instance, while adults may follow a more standardized timeline, children often exhibit different patterns of contagion, sometimes remaining infectious even after their symptoms have resolved. This variability underscores the importance of vigilance and awareness, especially in communal settings like schools and daycare centers, where the risk of spreading infections can be heightened.

Maintaining good hygiene practices is not just about personal health; it is a collective responsibility that can significantly impact public health. Simple actions such as frequent handwashing, using hand sanitizers, and wearing masks in crowded places can create a protective barrier against the spread of infections. Educating those around you about the importance of these practices can foster a culture of health awareness, ultimately leading to healthier communities. By prioritizing these measures, we can work together to minimize the impact of contagious diseases and protect the most vulnerable among us.

Key Takeaways

• You are typically contagious one day before symptoms start and up to seven days after becoming sick.
• Children and people with weakened immune systems may be contagious for longer periods.
• Early diagnosis and care, including telehealth visits, can help manage symptoms and reduce the spread.
• Good hygiene and isolation during contagious periods are essential to prevent transmission.
• Understanding the contagious timeline helps you make informed decisions about when to return to work or school.

Understanding Flu Contagiousness

When Does Flu Contagiousness Begin?

You can start spreading the flu virus to others about one day before you even notice symptoms. This means you might feel perfectly fine but still be contagious. This early contagious period is one reason flu spreads so quickly in communities and workplaces. In crowded environments, such as schools and offices, the potential for transmission increases significantly, as people often share spaces and interact closely. The flu virus can survive on surfaces for several hours, further facilitating its spread. Regular handwashing and sanitizing common areas can help mitigate this risk.

How Long Are You Contagious After Symptoms Appear?

Once symptoms like fever, cough, and body aches begin, you remain contagious for about five to seven days. The most infectious period is usually the first three to four days after symptoms start. During this time, the viru

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When you file a lawsuit to pursue a truck accident claim, discovery is one of the stages your case must go through during the litigation process.

You might ask, “What is the discovery process?” In this story, The Callahan Law Firm explains discovery, a pre-trial process that involves the exchange of information and documents and the questioning of witnesses to identify relevant facts and legal issues so that the case can be resolved either through settlement or trial.

What Evidence Can Be Uncovered During Discovery in a Truck Accident Case?

During discovery, the parties will request and exchange various kinds of information to help determine the facts of the case, including what happened, why it happened, how it happened, and what could have been done to prevent the crash.

Common examples of key evidence involved in discovery in a truck accident case include:

• Hours of service logs
• Cargo manifests
• Truck inspection records
• Medical records
• Vehicle repair records
• Police accident reports
• Event data recorder (black box) logs
• Eyewitness statements
• The truck driver’s employment and driving records
• Accident scene photos and videos
• Surveillance, traffic camera, and dashcam footage
• Truck maintenance and repair records

Attorneys use this kind of evidence to build a comprehensive picture of what happened in a truck accident. In many cases, a firm will work with accident reconstruction experts who use their engineering and scientific knowledge to help determine the sequence of events leading up to, at the time of, and in the moments after a crash. These experts can help to recreate and explain what happened in a truck accident based on the evidence uncovered during investigation and discovery.

Key Steps in the Discovery Process

The discovery process in a truck accident case involves multiple steps, such as:

• Interrogatories – Interrogatories allow parties to ask each other in writing for information relevant to the case or that could lead to the discovery of pertinent information.
• Requests for production of documents – Parties in a truck accident lawsuit can serve written requests for production, asking the opposing side to produce copies of specific categories of documents, photographs, data, and other evidence relevant or reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence.
• Requests for admission of facts – A party may send the opposing side written requests for admission, asking the opposing party to admit or deny specific facts or the genuineness of documents or other evidence.
• Depositions – Parties through their attorneys will conduct depositions of witnesses such as the drivers involved in the accident, eyewitnesses to the crash, trucking company representatives, healthcare providers, experts, and potentially others. Depositions of witnesses are taken with the witness unde

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Derrin Robinson has worked in Oregon elections for more than 30 years, long enough to remember when voters in the state cast their ballots at physical polling sites instead of by mail.

As the nonpartisan clerk of Harney County, a vast, rural expanse larger than Massachusetts, Robinson oversees elections with about 6,000 registered voters. Oregon has exclusively conducted elections by mail since 2000, a system he thinks works well, requires fewer staff and doesn’t force voters to travel through treacherous weather to reach a polling place.

“As you can tell, I’m not an advocate for going back,” Robinson told Stateline.

Not everyone agrees. An Oregon Republican lawmaker has introduced legislation to end the state’s mail voting law, and organizers of a ballot measure campaign seeking to ban mail-in voting say they have gathered thousands of signatures.

Across the United States, voting by mail faces a moment of uncertainty ahead of the midterm elections next year.

President Donald Trump has assailed mail-in voting and vowed this summer to lead a movement to eliminate the practice, promoting baseless claims that mailed ballots are linked to widespread fraud. Some states are also reevaluating their mail-in voting laws, including shortening or ending grace periods that now require election officials to count mailed ballots that arrive after Election Day.

The U.S. Supreme Court in November agreed to take a case that could end ballot grace periods nationwide. A decision by the justices late next spring or early summer striking them down could affect 16 states and the District of Columbia, potentially upending the rules of elections as states prepare to hold primaries ahead of the November midterm elections that will determine control of Congress.

Mail-in voting surged in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, when 43% of voters cast their votes by mail. The percentage of voters mailing their ballots has fallen from that peak but remains above pre-pandemic levels. About 30% of voters cast mail ballots in 2024, according to data gathered by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.

That’s 46.8 million voters, underscoring the electoral and political stakes involved in any major change to mail-in voting.

“THE MAIL-IN BALLOT HOAX, USING VOTING MACHINES THAT ARE A COMPLETE AND TOTAL DISASTER, MUST END, NOW!!!” Trump posted in August on his social media site, Truth Social.

Trump promised in the post to issue an executive order that would bring “HONESTY” to the midterm elections, but none has been forthcoming. In response to questions, the White House referred Stateline back to the president’s post.

Robinson, the president of the Oregon Association of County Clerks, emphasized the security of mail-in ballots but acknowledged that the message has become a “hard sell.”

“We’ve done everything in our power to try to squash the myths and disinformation that it’s wrought with fraud, because it is not,” he said.

Ballot deadlines targeted

Amid