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Since the start of 2023, the United States has averaged more than one mass shooting per day, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit group that tracks gun violence using police reports, government sources, news coverage, and other public data.  No official, universal definition of what constitutes a mass shooting currently exists. Groups define […]

Filing your taxes can be anxiety-inducing—especially if you’re not sure whether you’re going to owe the government money or receive a nice tax refund. Overpaying your tax obligation throughout the year by having extra money withheld from your paychecks is an interest-free loan to the government, but finding out you’re getting one can give you […]

Tax season can provoke dread, or it can bring joy. Between Jan. 1 and mid-April, individuals pull together their finances from the previous year and submit them as a tax return to the government. Tax returns show the tax you must pay to the government and how much you’ve already paid. If you owe more […]

Donald Trump made history last week as the first former president in U.S. history to be indicted for criminal conduct. Trump is being charged for his alleged role in a hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 presidential election that was intended to silence her from going public […]

Few issues spark more passion in the United States than gun control. Proponents argue that the country must impose stricter regulations to address the horrifying number of gun-related deaths—over 44,000 in 2022, according to the Gun Violence Archive. That number declined slightly from 2021, which marked the highest number of firearms deaths on record. Opponents […]

In a country where three in 10 adults own a gun and nearly half of households have at least one gun in the home, 100 Americans die every day from gunshot wounds. Nearly half of all U.S. adults grew up in a household with guns, more than half have friends who own guns, and nearly three-quarters […]

On the surface, Americans and their legislators accept and understand LGBTQ+ individuals more now than even a decade ago. The Supreme Court’s 2015 decision to legalize same-gender marriage remains one of the most tangible and significant wins for LGBTQ+ rights—yet many Americans continue to have complex (and sometimes contradictory) views on transgender issues, suggesting much […]

Over the past 20 years, the U.S. has weathered multiple major financial crises, natural disasters, and dramatic shifts in consumer behaviors. Yet the vast majority of states have managed to grow enough jobs to keep the nation’s economy going. The U.S. has added close to 21 million jobs since 2003, while the population has grown […]

Are you driving in a state where the number of uninsured drivers on roads is growing? A car wreck is never a happy event, but a collision involving a driver without auto insurance can make repairs and recovery significantly more difficult. Those drivers who are also involved in road accidents can get More Help if […]

“My Dear, a fortune is awaiting you … but it’s locked in an overseas account …” Sound familiar? You likely have multiple versions of this email in your spam folder. As tempting as it is to think of easy money, the reality is that the Nigerian Prince is a scammer targeting you for money or […]

Retirement is a dream for many Americans, especially if it includes a house along the coast or a seasonal residence located in a warmer, sunnier climate—the ultimate reward for a lifetime of hard work. But today, more than ever, retirees must factor in the current and potential future impacts of climate change when deciding where […]

Leading up to the riot in which supporters of then-President Donald Trump attempted to storm the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021, it had been clear to international and national intelligence and research institutions for years that right-wing extremism was on the rise in the country. As far back as 2009, the Department of […]

Fluctuating gas prices have many feeling pain at the pump—but owners of gas-guzzling cars feel it more acutely. Stacker used data from the Department of Energy’s fuel economy database to rank the 23 most gas-guzzling cars of 2023. Duplicate models of the same car line were excluded from this analysis: For example, the data includes […]

For many Americans, the typical life plan has long been school, work, retirement at 65, and living comfortably. But not as many people are traveling that path anymore. Nearly 19% of people of retirement age—65 years or older—remain in the workforce. In fact, Americans over 55 are the only age group that increased its labor […]

The largest army in the world as of 2022—with about 2 million active members—belongs to China, according to the CIA’s World Factbook; India holds the #2 spot with 1.5 million active-duty members. And the United States follows close behind with roughly 1.3 million service members on active duty—yet the nation’s military spending totals more than […]

While there is no shortage of exceptional colleges in the United States, there are millions of gifted kids across the nation jockeying for limited seats at some of America’s top universities every year. Parents often go to great financial lengths to send their children to some of the nation’s most prestigious schools, the likes of […]

The COVID-19 pandemic has driven an increase in productivity nationwide, even if that rise has been uneven from state to state. ClickUp used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to compare productivity levels by state, based on business locations. The analysis looks closely at relationships between productivity, pay, and hours worked. Economists and institutions […]

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in early 2020, every task that could adapt to a remote activity did—fitness classes, happy hours, even doctor’s visits—and, crucially, the workday. But plenty stayed in-person, partly depending on the task or job. A Pew Research Center survey conducted in October 2020 found that 71% of people who could do […]

College students can easily get overwhelmed by the many possible subjects to study. Even after identifying their main interests, there’s the question of what they can do with that field of study after graduation. Passion is one thing, but which majors bring high chances of a prosperous, long-term career? On average, people with bachelor’s degrees […]

2021 was a record year for people deciding to work for themselves, with 5.4 million new business applications nationwide—and 2022 has followed close on its heels. Though not all companies will have employees, the surge could lead to a rise in small business jobs in years to come. As an employee, you should know how […]

In urban planning, one topic remains hotly contested: bike lanes. The debate about this highly controversial subject has swirled for decades between cyclists, motorists, and municipalities. Which type of bike lanes are the safest, how much should cities invest in them, and—perhaps most contentiously—do they genuinely keep bikers safe? Velotric compiled a list of some […]

Last year, Americans in almost every state took out loans to purchase SUVs and trucks more than any other type of vehicle, further confirming their desire for greater comfort and prominence on the road. This is according to Experian, which analyzed its auto financing data for January through September 2022 to find the five most popular cars […]

The National Assessment for Educational Progress is a standardized test given to all students in grades four, eight, and 12 to get a snapshot of how well students’ reading and other academic skills are developing. Scores range from 0 to 500, and expectations for scores rise steadily from one grade level to the next. The […]

In April 1934, the U.S. recorded its highest wind speed ever, a gust of 231 miles per hour at Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire. The Mount Washington weather station, situated at the highest point in New England, continues to record high wind speeds, averaging 35.8 miles per hour between 1984 and 2020. Wind is […]

The Endangered Species Act is a landmark conservation law that has brought wildlife threatened by habitat destruction, climate change, and other issues back from the brink of extinction; the iconic Bald Eagle is one of the most well-known examples. In 2019, the Trump Administration rolled back several major protections outlined in the Endangered Species Act. […]

The COVID-19 pandemic has flipped our understanding of life on its head—especially when it comes to work. Though work-from-home at first seemed to be a temporary trend, employees are increasingly staying home by choice rather than necessity even as workplaces have reopened. In January 2022, Pew Research found 59% of employed adults reported working from […]

Many colleges and universities help prepare students for life after finals and dissertations by setting up virtual job fairs, providing online office hours for career development, and reaching out to companies to create co-op programs for potential student hires. And while finding high-paying jobs can sometimes be challenging, there are plenty of schools that have […]

After six decades of experiments, scientists from the National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California announced an energy breakthrough in December 2022:  a nuclear fusion reactor had produced more energy than was used to run it. With nuclear fusion still years—and billions of dollars—away from being scalable,  the current landscape of […]

Several studies within the past year have shown just how detrimental remote learning has been to academic progress during the coronavirus pandemic, especially for students already disadvantaged by racial and economic achievement gaps. Harvard University’s Center for Education Policy Research, for example, looked at testing data from fall 2019 through fall 2021 of 2 million […]

College graduation rates vary widely from one state to another; while 60% of enrolled students graduate in New Hampshire, in South Dakota the same percentage of people drop out before earning a degree. There are several reasons why students may not complete their four-year education. Many experience social isolation, anxiety, or depression. These conditions are […]

On Feb. 22, the Biden administration announced the first auction of offshore wind leases in the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf Coast, which has been home to numerous offshore oil and gas wells, could provide clean power to 1.3 million homes by the end of this decade. It’s the latest in a recent expansion of […]

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the U.S. public education system, diminishing enrollment by unprecedented numbers. As a growing contingent of parents have enrolled their kids in private or charter schools or turned to home-schooling, a key consequence has been less money for public schools and districts, as public school funding is determined by […]

The top five oil companies based in the West set new earning records in 2022, all at least doubling their 2021 profits to achieve combined earnings of nearly $200 billion. ExxonMobil reported the highest profits of any single company at almost $56 billion. These earnings come in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The war has […]

Driving is dangerous—perhaps even the most dangerous thing most Americans do in their everyday lives. Behind the wheel of a hunk of metal and plastic weighing an average of more than 2 tons, drivers aren’t just risking their own lives and those of their passengers, but of everyone else on the road—or near it—as well. […]

When Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act in August 2022, billions of dollars were appropriated and millions of acres were reserved for renewable energy expansion. This unprecedented investment—an estimated $369 billion for climate and energy funding—spurred private industry to get in on the action. Morningstar Direct, as reported by CNBC, found that upwards of $425 […]

More than 5 million Native Americans live in the United States as members of 574 federally recognized and 63 state-recognized tribes. That number is projected to rise to 10 million by 2060. A federally recognized tribe is a sovereign entity with a government-to-government relationship with the United States, as well as the rights of self-governance […]

What makes the best county in each state? Often it involves a good mix of opportunities for fun outdoor activities and cultural attractions. Throw in some historical sites, good schools, job opportunities, and affordable housing, and the county will most likely have happy residents. Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live using […]