November is “National Family-Caregivers Month”. And, “A-A-R-P Mississippi” is reminding residents about resources that can help them support their loved-ones—while also taking care of themselves. Kimberly L- Campbell is the group’s state-director…

“No matter where Mississippians are right now in their own caregiving-journey, having information at their fingertips will truly make the process easier. Our ‘Family-Caregiver Resource Guide’ includes listings for programs, services, and agencies—along with tools for health, respite-care, and both legal and financial assistance. Supporting family-caregivers is one of our key issues: Roughly 470-thousand Mississippians serve as a family-caregiver, at some point during the year. And, their unpaid contributions are valued at about four-point-seven-billion dollars, annually.”

To learn more—and to order a copy of the “‘A-A-R-P Mississippi’ Family-Caregiver Resource Guide”—visit “a-a-r-p”-dot-org-slash-“caregiving”, or call 1-877-333-5885.

(These four soundbites are from Brad Anderson, AARP Iowa’s state director.)

“One of the few issues [that] Republicans and Democrats agree on is that we need to keep ‘Social Security’ strong, for future generations. We want Iowans who are preparing to cast their votes [to] know where all the leading candidates for [the] U-S House and Senate stand on this issue. So, ‘A-A-R-P Iowa’ asked each candidate to share their views, as part of our ‘Pocketbook Conversations’ video-series. All 10 videos are available online, at ‘a-a-r-p’-dot-o-r-g-slash-‘i-a’.” (:28)

“‘A-A-R-P Iowa’ is assembling a diverse coalition of volunteers—across the political spectrum—who are committed to ensuring the solvency of ‘Social Security’. These volunteers will help us engage elected-officials and candidates, to let them know that protecting ‘Social Security’ must be a top priority—and that inaction is not an option. Anyone interested in volunteering can sign up, at ‘a-a-r-p’-dot-o-r-g-slash-‘i-a’.” (:27)

“More than 660-thousand Iowans currently receive ‘Social Security’-benefits; that results in well over 11-billion dollars injected into the economy, each year. ‘Social Security’ is also the only inflation-protected, guaranteed source of income that you can count on, when you retire. And, if it weren’t for Social Security, almost three-in-10 beneficiaries over the age of 65 would be living below the poverty-line. The bottom line is [that] this is a popular, reliable program; it started 87 years ago and has never missed a payment.” (:32)

“Based on current projections, the ‘Social Security Trust-Fund’ could run short on funds by around 2035. The main source of financing comes from payroll-taxes on earnings that are paid by both employees and employers—with about 180-million people paying these taxes, last year. However, changing demographics mean that there are fewer people in the workforce, compared to those who are now retiring. So, if lawmakers don’t act, millions of Americans will see a reduction in ‘Social Security’-payments—and greater economic-insecurity.” (:33)

Early voting in Maryland begins Thursday, October 27th. And, “A-A-R-P Maryland” is reminding residents about what they need to do, in order to cast their ballot. Hank Greenberg is the group’s state-director…

“Election-laws and voting-places can change. And, that’s why we’ve collected all of the latest information—so that voters can be heard. See, this includes how to register, and what the rules are for mail-in or in-person voting, and all of the key deadlines. From preventing cuts to Social Security, and protecting Medicare—to lowering prescription-drug prices, and fighting for family-caregivers—older Americans deserve to cast their vote on the issues that matter. And, we want to make sure that all voters know about their options—whether they’re eligible to vote by mail-in ballot, [by] drop-box, or in-person on Election Day. Remember, early voting runs October 27th through November 3rd—and the deadline to request a mail-in ballot is November 1.”

For the latest voting-information, visit “a-a-r-p”-dot-org-slash-“m-d-votes”.

With this year’s general election almost here, voters statewide should make their voices heard—when it comes to public education. That’s according to Libby Cohen, of “Raise Your Hand Texas”…

“Part of supporting local schools is exercising our right to vote: Public education has never been more important to our communities. And, the state’s future success depends on how well we educate our students today. That’s why it’s crucial to elect leaders who support investing in the more-than-five-million public-school students, throughout Texas. Our website features information to help Texans learn about their candidates; they can also check their current voter-registration status, and polling-information. Because—no matter where you live—public education is always on the ballot.”

To learn more, visit “raise-your-hand-texas”-dot-org-slash-“vote”.

(These five soundbites are from Dr. Rebecca Weast [as in “yeast”], a research scientist with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.)

“Teen drivers have crash-rates that are nearly four times those of drivers who are 20 or older—due to their inexperience and immaturity. So, it’s critical that they’re in a vehicle that will provide good crash-protection. This means avoiding the smallest vehicles; choosing a car that has good crash-test ratings; and buying as much safety-technology as can be afforded.” (:21)

“Study after study has shown that teen drivers are more likely to be killed in older, smaller vehicles. While it may seem logical for parents to hand down an older vehicle to their teen, the reality is that newer vehicles provide much-better protection—and have standard safety-features that can keep drivers of all ages out of a crash in the first place.” (:20)

“One technology that’s critical for teen drivers is ‘electronic stability control’—which is standard on newer cars, but might’ve only been an option on older models. Other helpful technologies include ‘automatic emergency braking’, ‘lane-departure warning’, and ‘blind-spot monitoring’—all of which can cut crash-rates. Some new cars also have built-in teen-safety technologies that allow parents to, for example, set a maximum speed—or limit the maximum volume of the stereo. There are also app-based systems for monitoring teens’ driving.” (:33)

“Parents should learn about their state’s graduated driver-licensing laws—which govern things like required practice-hours during the learner’s-permit phase, and whether teens are permitted to drive with other teens in their vehicle. However, parents should use those laws as a starting-point—and a stricter set of rules should be applied, at their discretion, if they see fit. One way for parents to make their expectations clear is to sit down with their teen, and sign a contract; that way, there’s no doubt that he or she understands what can or can’t be done while driving.” (:32)

“Our website—at ‘i-i-h-s’-dot-org—has a ton of information and resources about selecting a safe vehicle, the benefits of vehicle-technologies, rules that keep teens safe, and highway-safety research.” (:13)

(These four soundbites are from Paula Cunningham, AARP Michigan’s state director.)

“In our conversation, the leading gubernatorial candidates shared their thoughts on issues that our recent poll found to be the most important. These include: rising prices; the cost of prescription-drugs; election-security; voting-rights; and long-term care. The full conversation is now available online—at ‘a-a-r-p’-dot-org-slash-‘m-i-votes’.” (:23)

“We also have an online ‘Voter-Resource Guide’ that has the latest information for the general election, on November 8th—such as how to register, where to vote in-person, the rules for absentee voting, and all of the key deadlines.” (:14)

“Michiganders who are 50 or older are the state’s largest voting-bloc—comprising a full 60-percent of the electorate. With every election, they consistently show up to vote. And, they make a difference in the outcomes.” (:15)

“Our goal is to inform and educate our members—and their families—about where the candidates stand on important issues. This includes providing an opportunity for them to hear directly from the candidates themselves.” (:13)

The percentage of Minnesota’s seniors who feel “in control” of their own health has jumped—from 29-percent last year, to 56-percent this year. That’s according to a new survey from “Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota”. “Blue Cross”-ambassador, John Hines, discusses some of the other findings…

“Older Minnesotans now report experiencing fewer negative emotions in regard to ‘COVID-19’ than they have in either of the past two years. Also, two-thirds of this year’s respondents say that they’re motivated to prioritize their health since turning 65. Their top goals include: making healthier food-choices; improving diet and nutrition; losing weight and gaining muscle; and either improving or maintaining strength. What’s more, 60-percent plan on traveling within the next 12 months—with over 80-percent of them planning on taking more than one trip. They also indicate that having healthcare available to them while traveling is a priority.”

To learn more, visit “blue-cross-m-n”-dot-com-slash-“seniors”.

While more men than women are killed in vehicle-crashes, women remain more likely to be seriously injured. Could current crash-testing be biased? Jessica Jermakian [as in “make”], of the “Insurance Institute for Highway Safety”, believes that the answer is “no”…

“Real-world crash-scenarios often favor men: They’re driving bigger, heavier vehicles—and they’re more often behind the wheel of the striking vehicle, rather than the struck one. Technology—like ‘automatic emergency braking’—could be a big help, to prevent crashes altogether.”

What about newer, more-sophisticated crash-test dummies?

“We believe that better solutions exist, or are in development. One promising tool is ‘virtual crash-testing’ that could help make vehicles safer for women—and for people of all shapes and sizes. New vehicles are safer than ever—and advances in protection already have closed the gap dramatically between men’s and women’s risk of injury.”

Learn more at “i-i-h-s”-dot-org; that’s “i-i-h-s”-dot-org. I’m Bob Tebo, for the “Consumer Radio Network”.

Consumers, throughout Massachusetts, are facing challenges—such as rising costs for everyday goods and services. That’s why “National Grid” has launched a program to help residents deal with higher energy-bills, as winter approaches. Marc Brown is the northeast regional-director for “Consumer Energy Alliance”…

“Energy-costs continue to rise—due to inflation throughout the economy, existing regulatory processes, and such geopolitical issues as the war in Ukraine. Because of this, the ‘Winter Customer-Savings Initiative’ provides customers with resources for getting bill-payment assistance—through both state- and federal-programs. It also provides information on incentives for homes and businesses to reduce their energy-use—including ones that are supported by ‘Mass Save’. And, it highlights bill-management solutions—such as smoothing bills out, over the course of the year, through either balanced- or budget-billing. We want to educate all ‘Bay Staters’, so that they can stay safe and warm. And, since winter-rates start on November 1st, they shouldn’t wait to act.”

To learn more, visit “national-grid-u-s”-dot-com-slash-“here-to-help”.

“A-A-R-P New Mexico” is urging people—especially those age-50-plus—to head to the polls, for the general election. It also has a one-stop place, where they can learn where and when to vote—along with important deadlines. Beth Velasquez is the group’s communications-director…

“While New Mexico’s election-laws have largely stayed the same, we did experience a redistricting—meaning [that] some people might have a different congressional representative than in the past, or their polling-location might have changed. That’s why we’ve collected all of the latest information, so that voters can be heard; this includes how to register, what the rules are for absentee voting, and all of the key deadlines. From preventing cuts to Social Security, and protecting Medicare—to lowering prescription-drug prices, and fighting for family-caregivers—older New Mexicans deserve to cast their vote on the issues that matter most to them. And, we want to make sure that all voters know about their options—whether they’re voting by absentee ballot, doing early voting, or heading to the polls on Election Day, November 8th.”

For the latest voting-information, visit “a-a-r-p”-dot-org-slash-“n-m-votes”.