Category Archives: Ron Paul

By Clark D. Cunningham, Georgia State University

A court filing by the Justice Department just minutes before midnight on Aug. 30, 2022, was a sharply worded attack on former President Donald Trumps request for a so-called special master a neutral arbiter to review the documents the FBI seized at his estate, Mar-a-Lago, earlier in the month.

Bottom line: The Justice Department says the documents dont belong to Trump and says someone has deliberately concealed documents marked classified from a federal grand jury investigation. The department has not yet publicly stated who they believe is guilty of this crime whether Trump himself, members of his team, or both.

In the filing, the Justice Department wrote, The government also developed evidence that government records were likely concealed and removed from the Storage Room and that efforts were likely taken to obstruct the governments investigation.

This latest revelation has prompted observers to say that obstruction of justice charges are at stake. But thats a broad term that covers many wrongful acts. The specific crime at issue here is obstructing a federal investigation.

The Conversation asked Georgia State University legal expert Clark Cunningham, an authority on search warrants, to describe the meaning of obstruction, and why Trump may be charged with this crime.

There are 21 different federal crimes that involve obstruction of justice. One of the obstruction laws, called Section 1519, is violated if someone knowingly conceals any document with the intent to obstruct or block a federal investigation. Thats obstruction of a federal investigation, and conviction for this crime can result in up to 20 years of prison.

For example, Jesse Benton, who managed Ron Pauls 2012 presidential campaign, was convicted of violating Section 1519 when he concealed improper campaign payments from the Federal Election Commission. Trump later pardoned Benton in December 2020.

The FBI cites Section 1519 in its Mar-a-Lago search warrant and in the recently unsealed affidavit submitted to a Florida court to obtain the warrant. But until the Department of Justices Aug. 30, 2022, midnight court filing, the public did not know what kind of concealment and what kind of obstruction the department was alleging Trump committed.

A federal grand jury subpoena demanded on May 11, 2022, that Trump turn over all documents with classified markings to the government.

The FBI was informed by Trump representatives in a sworn statement at Mar-a-Lago on June 3 that all documents marked classified were being turned over that day. This statement has now been proved to be false.

Trump was aware of the FBIs June 3 visit to Mar-a-Lago. In his own court filings he has said that he personally met the FBI agents when they arrived.

Despite the sworn statement that no more documents marked as classified remained at Mar-a-Lago, the FBI found 76 documents marked classified in a storage room during its subsequent Aug. 8, 2022 search of Mar-a-Lago. They also found documents marked Top Secret in a container in Trumps private office. The agents also seized a desk drawer in that office containing documents marked classified that were mixed in with other items, including Trumps passports.

The government believes that the false statement made to the agents on June 3, as well as other evidence they have not yet disclosed, shows there was a deliberate plan to conceal documents that should have been given to the grand jury.

Before the Aug. 30 filing, it appeared that Trumps most serious risk of criminal liability involved violating the Espionage Act by willfully retaining documents relating to national security after he left office. Revelation of these new details emphasize another offense to be added to the list of his possible crimes: obstruction of a federal investigation.

Clark D. Cunningham, W. Lee Burge Chair in Law & Ethics; Director, National Institute for Teaching Ethics & Professionalism, Georgia State University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Trump faces possible obstruction of justice charges for concealing classified government documents - Ohio Capital Journal

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Like it or not, some fees are unavoidable.

But others are excessive, egregious and just plain obnoxious. You certainly dont have to like them and you dont have to pay them either.

Heres a look at fees you should never need to pay.

As paying with cash has become less common, its gotten more expensive to turn your change into bills.

Many banks used to have coin-counting machines that account holders could use for free. Now, those that have them generally charge for the service. (However, a coin shortage caused by the pandemic led Regions and perhaps other banks to waive those fees temporarily.)

And, of course, many of us dont physically visit banks anymore so the only coin counters we encounter are the ones operated by Coinstar in grocery stores.

Coinstar charges a whopping 11.9% service fee plus a 25-cent transaction fee for the pleasure of sitting through all that whirring, clanking and feeding of a few stubborn coins through the machine multiple times.

However, you can avoid this fee in two ways. First, you can redeem your change for an eGift card from a wide variety of retailers and services including Amazon, DoorDash, Home Depot and Southwest Airlines.

Second, you can do the coin sorting yourself. Your bank might still give you coin wrappers for free, or you can find them at the dollar store.

If sorting and rolling coins doesnt sound worth your time but you still hate the fee, you can strike a middle ground by buying your own coin sorter this one's a bargain for the one-time, flat fee of about $27 on Amazon.

Want the privilege of accessing your own money? Thatll be $4.66, please.

Thats the average amount for fees on a transaction through an ATM not run by your bank, according to recent research. It accounts for the fees both the ATM owner and your bank hit you with.

The good news, from the same study, is that banks have been increasingly ditching the practice of charging customers who use out-of-network machines. So keep complaining, and use one of the roughly 40% of banks standing on the right side of history. We name several in 6 Banks That Waive or Refund ATM Fees.

If youre not willing to make the switch, you can make liberal use of your debit card to get small amounts of cash back alongside many retail transactions or be sure to always use your own banks ATMs.

Few industries are more fee-happy than credit cards. Annual fees, late fees, cash advance fees and foreign transaction fees are just a few of the most common.

Many can be avoided with a little diligence. For instance, be sure to compare fees when you choose a credit card they dont all charge the same types. (We can help find a credit card that works for you.)

You should also always know how close you are to your credit limit, what your full statement balance is and the due date thatll avoid three of the big fees we lay out in 6 Credit Card Costs You Should Never Pay.

Mutual fund sales charges, also called load fees, are like commissions, according to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. You can be charged this type of fee in various situations, depending on the fund:

Theyre a load of something, all right these fees are a percentage of the amount you invest. That means theyre proportionate to the amount of work you put into making the money, not the amount of work some broker puts into moving it.

One way to get around paying these hefty fees is to invest in no-load funds. Money Talks News founder and former stockbroker Stacy Johnson explains how to do it in How Do I Invest in a Mutual Fund?

Paying to use something many airports, coffee shops and other businesses give you for free seems a little unreasonable, doesnt it?

Sometimes joining a hotels loyalty program provides free in-room Wi-Fi as a perk. You can also bring your own Wi-Fi hotspot although that might mean youre just paying a fee to your phone provider instead.

We have more ideas in 11 Tips for Avoiding Ridiculous Hotel Fees.

Most overdraft fees are paid by people living paycheck to paycheck the very people who can least afford to pay them. Theyre a blight, and thankfully, some banks are doing away with them.

So one way to avoid this kind of fee, also called an insufficient funds fee, is to switch banks.

Another is to tell your bank youre not interested in paying about $35 every time you dont have $1 to spare federal law allows you to opt out of this kind of protection from banks. Just be aware that opting out means your card will be declined at the register if you dont have enough money in your account to cover a charge.

When we fly somewhere, its pretty much a given were going to pay for where we park our car, our luggage and our rear. But airlines have also started trying to charge for the privilege of picking whichever remaining corner of the plane you want to cram yourself into when you book a flight.

The way seat selection is presented in the process may make these charges seem inevitable but theres generally a link or button somewhere on the page to skip picking a seat and simply let the airline assign one for you.

Another option is to fly on an airline that doesnt mess around with assigned seating, like Southwest.

Disclosure: The information you read here is always objective. However, we sometimes receive compensation when you click links within our stories.

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7 Fees You Should Never Pay And How to Avoid Them - Money Talks News

Hillary Clinton recently hawked a line of hats with a mocking logo But her emails. The taunt was directed at Donald Trump, who faces a real possibility of a criminal charge after the FBIs search of his Mar-a-Lago residence.

While Clinton considers her prior conduct a subject of mirth, the FBIs handling of her case will cast a long shadow over any potential prosecution of the former president, including the recent focus on an obstruction charge. There likely would be an assortment of but her emails objections to a charge that could have been made as readily against Clinton or her associates.

The appointment of a special master to examine materials seized in the Trump investigation has occupied much of the attention in the past week. Trumps legal teams belated request for a special master could help bring greater clarity to the raids scope and seizures. Yet it will not likely alter the trajectory of the case, which the Department of Justice (DOJ) has repeatedly stressed is an active criminal investigation.

What is notable is the governments obvious effort to focus public attention on obstruction as a potential crime. Emphasizing obstruction, instead of the improper retention of classified material, could be seen as a way to navigate a political minefield to get to a prosecution. The reason, once again, is Hillary Clinton, who remains a complicating factor in Attorney General Merrick Garland showing the public that this is not about pursuing Trump but enforcing the law.

In its filings in the last two weeks, the most worrisome line for Trump came in the DOJs36-page oppositionto a special masters appointment when it declared that obstructive conduct occurred at Mar-a-Lago in themonths leading up to the Aug. 8 search.The DOJ also said it has developed evidence that government records were likely concealed and removed from the Storage Room and that efforts were likely taken to obstruct the governments investigation.

Those types of statements never bode well for a target, since they reflect a certain commitment to the prosecutorial path.

The value of shifting toward an obstruction case is that it would reduce the complications of any Trump claims on declassification or executive privilege to remove documents while he remained president. (The three cited statutes do not require classified status for a crime but two deal with the unlawful possession or handling of defense or sensitive information.) Trump has not fully explained how he allegedly declassified all of this material. Under Section 1519, the government can prosecute someone who knowingly conceals any document with the intent to obstruct their investigation.

The filings do not indicate that the government has evidence of knowing concealment by Trump, but it cited various representations made by lawyers on his behalf.

Trump might be familiar with such cases because he pardoned Jesse Benton in the final days of his administration. Benton, who managed Ron Pauls 2012 presidential campaign, was convicted of violating Section 1519 by concealing campaign payments from the Federal Election Commission. Ironically, Trump signed that pardon as his staff was preparing to leave the White House, including having these boxes packed for transport to Mar-a-Lago.

While the released evidence would clearly support a charge of obstruction, it is unclear what acts were knowingly taken and by whom.

A criminal charge of obstruction against Trump would offer certain political benefits for Garland.As previously discussed, the government has routinely elected not to prosecute high-ranking officials for improperly removing classified material or has sought mere misdemeanor charges in the most egregious cases.

Prosecuting Trump for a misdemeanor for possessing or removing classified documents would seem gratuitous, while prosecuting him for a felony would raise questions of biased or selective prosecution. After all, in 2016, Hillary Clinton had not just 113 documents containing classified material but some documents classified at the Top Secret/Special Access Program level on her private email servers. (In Trumps case, the government allegedly found roughly 100 documents in the Mar-a-Lago raid in addition to roughly 150 handled over by the Trump team under an earlier subpoena.)

Clintons documents were even more vulnerable to being compromised via her unclassified email account and, according to the FBI, hostile actors gained access to some of the information. Yet she was never subjected to a raid, let alone a charge.

Yet,whileless glaring as a contradiction than the charges on the possession or handling of classified information, an obstruction charge would allow up to a 20-year sentence and could be brought with misdemeanor charges on the mishandling or retention of classified information.

Thus, an obstruction charge against Trump would be prosecuted in the shadow of Hillary Clintons case. In addition to the transfer of top-secret and other classified documents to her private server, Clinton and her staff did not fully cooperate with investigators. During the investigations of her conduct, some of usmarveled at the temerity of the Clinton staffin refusing to turn over her laptop and other evidence to State Department and DOJ investigators. The FBI had tocut deals with her aidesto secure their cooperation.

Later,more classified material was foundon the laptop of former congressman Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), who was married to top Clinton aide Huma Abedin 49,000 emails potentially relevant to the Clinton investigation.

After Congress sought these emails, Clintons staffunilaterally destroyed thousands of emailswith BleachBit. Clinton was aware that Congress and the State Department wereseeking the emails in 2014. Her lawyers turned over about 30,000 work-related emails to the State Department and deleted 33,000 others while insisting they unilaterally deemed them personal.

Garland may be able to make a case against Trump and show that it is indeed distinguishable from the Clinton case and others. What has been alleged is undeniably serious, including the alleged failure to comply with an earlier subpoena and false statements. However, Garland must address the legitimate concerns of millions of Americans that the same office involved in past Trump investigations with documented instances of false or misleading statements is leading this new effort. There also is the great concern over the Biden administration charging a prior and possibly future political opponent.

Any criminal case should be based not only on unassailable legal theories and facts but on clear consistency with past cases.That case will turn on still undisclosed evidence of what was known about the contents of the boxes found at Mar-a-Lago and how the documents were handled after the Trump team learned of the FBIs investigation.

With Hillary Clintonselling But Her Emails hatsat $30 a pop, Merrick Garland will have to explain the prospect of one politician going to jail while the other goes retail.

Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University.Follow him on Twitter@JonathanTurley.

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Hats off to Hillary: Prosecuting Trump in the shadow of Clintons emails - The Hill

If youre looking for bargain fun this weekend, more than 3,000 movie theaters have it.

Those theaters with a total of 30,000 screens will celebrate National Cinema Day with showings for no more than $3 per ticket on Sept. 3.

Sponsored by the Cinema Foundation, the event is intended to celebrate the return of moviegoers to theaters following the pandemic. In a press release, Jackie Brenneman, Cinema Foundation president, says:

After this summers record-breaking return to cinemas, we wanted to do something to celebrate moviegoing. Were doing it by offering a thank you to the moviegoers that made this summer happen, and by offering an extra enticement for those who havent made it back yet.

Just note that the $3 admission price does not include tax or fees for online and/or third-party ticketing.

The Cinema Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit that promotes the essential cinema exhibition industry by developing future diverse workforces and growing moviegoing communities through research, education and philanthropy.

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Visit Your Favorite Theater and Watch a Movie for $3 on Sept. 3 - Money Talks News

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Washing your car regularly keeps it looking its best and gives a longer life to the finish on your favorite ride. And youve probably spent a good bit of the summer riding and enjoying the dropping gas prices.

Unfortunately, many of us make foolish decisions when cleaning our vehicles. Following are some common mistakes you likely make when washing the car.

Using a standard cleaning sponge to wash your car can create untold damage, says professional auto detailer Larry Kosilla.

He says such sponges can be devastating to your paint because dirt and contaminants get pushed along the surface as you wipe. By contrast, car mitts made for washing a car grab these contaminants and trap them in the mitts fibers until they are released when you dip the mitt into a bucket of water.

For example, the Chemical Guys brand boasts that its MIC498 Black Microfiber Wash Mitt contains fibers that act like a piece of Velcro to hook and loop material, trapping and holding abrasive dirt and filth deep within the pile of the premium wash mitt.

Dish soap may do a fantastic job on plates and cutlery, but it is not meant to clean your cars exterior.

This type of soap contains chemicals that can oxidize the paint job, strip the clear coat, and make the paint dull looking, according to NuWash, a mobile car care service based in Austin, Texas.

Instead, use a car shampoo specially made for washing vehicles. Doing so will help guard your cars paint, rubber and metal surfaces from moisture and debris.

One of the best parts of cleaning your car is looking through glass that is sparkly clean. But it is best to avoid using ammonia-based glass cleaners when wiping windows.

If the ammonia drips inside the car, it can damage upholstery and the dashboard, according to the On All Cylinders automotive blog.

So, look for ammonia-free glass cleaners. Mothers, Windex and Glass Plus all sell them.

Its easy to miss a spot or two when cleaning that shows up after your work is done. When this happens, dont grab a dry towel and try to quickly rub out the dirt spot.

Doing so simply grinds the dirt in, scratching the paint, warns On All Cylinders.

Similarly, never use a dirty towel to clean your car. According to the Car Care Hacks website:

When you drop your towel on the ground, it picks up all types of debris, including little rocks which will put a nice scratch in your cars paint. So, once you drop the towel on the ground, that towel is done.

It is natural to start washing your car at the top and work your way down. But washing the wheels and tires last is a mistake, because much of the gunk and grime you spray off will end up on the surface of the car that you just cleaned.

The folks at Reliable Detailing in Virginia Beach, Virginia, urge you to clean your wheels and tires first, then turn to the rest of the car, working from the top down.

Car wax helps protect your cars exterior. However, applying too many coats of wax is wasteful, and simply leads to over-buffing and the removal of earlier coats, according to the experts at Simoniz, which makes car cleaning products.

Stick to one to two coats of wax. That should be plenty to do the job right.

Taking a bottle of car shampoo or car wax and squeezing it directly onto the cars surface is unwise. Doing so can make it look messy or cause damage to the paint color, according to the experts at Motor Biscuit.

Instead, always follow the product directions. That typically means using a foam applicator, Motor Biscuit notes.

The suns powerful rays quickly evaporate the soap and water you apply to your car. That can make it difficult for those suds to do their job of removing dirt and grime, say the folks at AvalonKing, which sells ceramic coating for vehicles.

They recommend washing your car in the shade and planning your washes for early in the morning or close to sunset.

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The Best Tom Hanks Movies, Ranked.

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Take a gander at the last 40 years of cinema, and youll find at least one universal truth: The people love Tom Hanks.

The 66-year-old actor is known around Hollywood and the world as an affable everyman, with as much capacity for heady drama as he has a knack for quippy comedy. Hanks most famous roles range from the light and whimsical (see flicks like Money Pit, Turner & Hooch, and Larry Crowne) to the darkly complex (The Green Mile, Charlie Wilsons War, and The Post). Hes also responsible for delivering lines in some of cinemas most quotable movies, including A League of Their Own (Theres no crying in baseball!) and Apollo 13 (Houston, we have a problem).

Hanks cut his teeth as a stage actor, performing Shakespeare and other plays in his hometown of Lakewood, California for much of the late 70s. At 24-years-old, Hanks made his first movie appearance as a flirty jogger in the slasher He Knows Youre Alone before starring opposite Daryl Hannah in Ron Howards romantic comedy Splash four years later (which ranks at No. 3 on IndieWires guide to the best mermaid movies).

Hanks was known for his rom-coms for some time, famously pairing up with Meg Ryan for both Sleepless in Seattle and Youve Got Mail. His broader comedies were similarly well-received, with Toy Story becoming a franchise (to which Hanks voice remains essential) and Big snagging the actor his first Oscar nomination (for his performance as a 12-year-old trapped in an adults body).

That said, the best Tom Hanks roles have largely been dramatic. Philadelphia would earn Hanks his first Academy Award for Best Actor in 1994. Hed immediately follow it up with a second Best Actor win for Forrest Gump in 1995. Teaming up with director Steven Spielberg for Saving Private Ryan, Hanks was nominated again in 1999. The actor topped off his turn of the century success streak with one more nomination for Robert Zemeckis 2000 survival epic Cast Away. Hanks wouldnt be honored by the Academy again until 2020, when he played beloved childrens show host Mr. Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.

Following Hanks performance in Baz Luhrmanns Elvis and ahead of the actors reunion with Zemeckis for the live-action Pinocchio on Disney+ September 8, here are the 15 best Tom Hanks movies of all time. Plus: A list of his characters best lines from those titles.

Note: For the purpose of this ranking, the Toy Story franchise has been regarded as a single body of work.

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The 15 Best Tom Hanks Movies, from 'Cast Away' to 'Toy Story' to 'Big' - IndieWire

by James Brooks, Alaska BeaconAugust 27, 2022

In Chris Byes preferred campaign photo, the Libertarian U.S. House candidate is ripping open his dress shirt to reveal a T-shirt that says, Do Good Recklessly.

After Republican fourth-place candidate Tara Sweeney abruptly withdrew from Alaskas November U.S. House race, Bye will fill a spot in the states top-four primary election, an act that will put him alongside Democratic candidate Mary Peltola and Republicans Sarah Palin and Nick Begich III in the race for a two-year term in the House.

Bye, a fishing guide from Fairbanks, spoke about his campaign on Friday while waiting to take his next client fishing. He said his picture encapsulates his message.

I mean, we dont have to be Superman to do good. I mean, I can just be a fishing guide and pick up garbage along the way. This isnt complicated, he said.

Bye, a former U.S. Army officer with deployments in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, said he isnt wealthy and doesnt have a traditional political background, but that doesnt mean he cant do the job as Alaskas lone delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Born in Oxford, England, to an Air Force family, Bye said he moved every two to three years while growing up and went to two different high schools before joining the U.S. Army and going to college.

He served in a variety of roles, including as an infantryman, in armor, and as a cavalryman before his career took him to Alaska with the 172nd Infantry Brigade.

While deployed to Iraq, he said he wrote to Alaskas congressional delegation frequently.

Id be like, Why am I in Iraq? Like, can someone please tell me why you voted to send us here? Because there is absolutely no constitutional emergency for us to be here, he said.

He said he was disillusioned by the really dumb, canned responses he got.

I just knew that I didnt fit in either (Republican or Democratic) party, he said.

On a subsequent fishing trip with a fellow officer, the other man gave him a copy of Ron Pauls book, Liberty Defined.

Paul was the Libertarian Party nominee for president in 1988 and has espoused a philosophy of limited government intervention. Reading Pauls book absolutely changed the way I look at governance, Bye said. Overnight, I realized I had been part of the problem by settling for the lesser of two evils.

Bye retired from the military in 2017 and stayed in Fairbanks but didnt run for office until this year. The decision came with a high cost: Bye had to give up a civilian job on Fort Wainwright because federal employees arent permitted to run for office.

The inspiration behind his decision, he said, was the passage of the federal infrastructure bill, known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Bye was dissatisfied by the cost of that measure, which was supported by former Congressman Don Young. He briefly considered running as a Republican or Democrat but decided to run as a Libertarian after receiving an email from the party.

They welcomed me with wide arms, even though weve got some differences, Bye said.

An example, he said, is drug policy. Bye favors continued restrictions on some controlled substances, such as fentanyl.

Answering a candidate questionnaire from the Beacon, Bye praised the U.S. Supreme Courts decision overturning Roe v. Wade but said contraception and other medicines should be available for all people without a doctors prescription.

He has advocated restrictions on deep-sea trawling and the gradual elimination of the practice in order to reduce salmon bycatch.

Answering questions from Ballotpedia, he said his top goal, if elected, is to accelerate the transfer of federal land to individuals and the state.

On his website, Bye advocates a 10-15% cut in federal spending and a 15% cut in the number of federal employees.

By phone, Bye said that if elected, instead of the hunting trophies and memorabilia that adorned the office of former Congressman Don Young, he would go down to IKEA and were going to get the biggest damn table because we represent Alaska and were going to put as many seats around that table as possible, and everybody, every Alaskan is invited to sit at that table.

Because Im not just a representative for the people that voted for me, but for everybody, even those who have conflicting views, he said. I mean, if we cant be courageous in front of people who have different views, our future generations, theyre going to be sucking.

Bye acknowledged that he faces an uphill campaign toward November. Hes received little media attention to date, his competitors have raised significantly more money for advertising, and hes on pace to finish with less than 1% of the vote in this months primary election.

Still, he said, its important for him to not only run but also be considered a candidate on the level of the Republicans and Democrat who also are finishing in the top four.

Im just a fishing guide, but if we dont have normal people in there, Alaskans are stuck with the status quo, he said. And the status quo so far has failed us, failed miserably.

Alaska Beacon is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alaska Beacon maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Andrew Kitchenman for questions: [emailprotected]. Follow Alaska Beacon on Facebook and Twitter.

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A fishing guide from Fairbanks is poised to fill a spot in Alaskas U.S. House election - The Midnight Sun

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What do you need to succeed in business? It might depend on where you set up shop and were not just talking about the right street corner either.

The truth is, tax laws, cost of living, and median household income can all play a role in how your business fares in the long run, says Looka, an artificial intelligence-powered graphic design company that recently released an analysis of the best states for entrepreneurs.

Those factors were combined with data on how often businesses succeed and what percentage of businesses are new in each state to establish the ranking.

Heres a look at the top states to start a business.

California can be an expensive place to live, but its also where small businesses are most likely to survive, Looka says. We previously noted two California metros among the 10 Top Cities for Women Entrepreneurs.

Everythings bigger in Texas, except apparently the cost of living and personal income tax. If youre looking for a more specific area to earn your first dollar, Austin and McAllen are two of the top picks in the country.

New Jerseys high median household income vaults it high up on this list, despite the states high tax rates. Its median household income is second only to California on this list, Looka notes.

These are the remaining states in the top 10 best states for starting a business, according to Lookas analysis:

Disclosure: The information you read here is always objective. However, we sometimes receive compensation when you click links within our stories.

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The 10 Best States to Start Your Own Business - Money Talks News

Years before Cliffside Parks Mehmet Oz decided to seek a U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania, another Bergen County man had moved to Florida and challenged Marco Rubio and Ron DeSantis in their first major campaigns.

In his first bid for Congress in 2012, Ron DeSantis faced Billy Kogut, a former three-term councilman from Wallington.

Billy Kogut was 29 when he won a Wallington Borough Council seat in 1984, on his third try. A local liquor store owner, he came with 79 votes of winning in 1981 and lost again in 1982.

He became council president after Republicans took control of the council in 1985, for the first time in decades. Kogut had a contentious relationship with the Democratic mayor, Walter Slomienski, but didnt run against him in 1986.

In 1989, Kogut sought a seat in the New Jersey State Assembly in the old 36th district, which included part of South Bergen and the City of Passaic.

He ran on a ticket with former Assemblyman Paul DiGaetano (R-Passaic).

The two Democratic incumbents easily won second terms. Louis Gill (D-Passaic) and Thomas Duch (D-Garfield) defeated DiGaetano by over 4,700 votes, with Kogut losing by about 7,100.

Still, Kogut remained popular in Wallington, where he easily won re-election to a third term in 1990.

But in 1991, despite the Republican tidal wave that followed Democratic Gov. Jim Florios $2.8 billion tax hike, Kogut was not able to win a mayoral race after Slomienski stepped down after 16 years. Democrat Walter Wargacki defeated him by about 300 votes and ten percentage points.

He did not seek re-election to the council in 1993 and later moved to Florida in the 1990s. Kogut sold real estate in Ormand Beach and ran for office.

He became a candidate for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in 2004. Former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Mel Martinez defeated former Rep. Bill McCollum by a 45%-41% margin, with Kogut last with 3,605 votes statewide, 0.32% of the vote, in a field of eight candidates.

After Martinez left the Senate in 2010, Kogut challenged Marco Rubio in the Republican U.S. Senate primary. He lost by 957,856 votes, 85%-9%, finishing second in a three-way race.

After Floridas congressional map was redraws in 2012 to create an open seat in the 6th district.

This was the first foray into politics for DeSantis, who joined the U.S. Navy JAG Corps after graduating Harvard Law School. He was deployed to Iraq and later worked as a federal prosecutor.

As a candidate for Congress, Kogut was one of his first opponents.

DeSantis won the Republican primary by a 39%-23% margin against State Rep. Fred Costello. Kogut, the former Wallington councilman, finished last in a field of seven candidates with 628 votes (1%).

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What do John Fetterman and Ron DeSantis have in common? They both ran against Bergen County guys - New Jersey Globe | New Jersey Politics

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Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on NewRetirement.

With retirement, most people worry about having enough money and funding health care, but did you know that your heart health should really be at the top of your list of retirement concerns?

Humans often worry about the wrong things. And there is significant evidence that heart health doesnt get anywhere near enough attention from retirees or anyone.

Putting the COVID-19 pandemic aside, research has shown that the media puts far too much attention on causes of death like terrorism and homicide and not nearly enough on the actual No. 1 killer in the U.S.: heart disease.

Information from Our World in Data clearly shows the significant disconnect between what we are worried about and what will actually kill us.

In 2016, over 30% of all deaths were caused by heart disease. However, heart disease made up only 2% of all Google searches and around 2.5% of media coverage.

It really does appear that we are worrying about the wrong things. But thats not the worst of it.

A study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that retirees within a year of transitioning from work were 40% more likely to have had a heart attack or stroke than those who were still working. The increase was more pronounced during the first year after retirement and leveled off after that.

The researchers gave several reasons why they saw a dramatic jump in heart attacks after people left work.

For people who had a stressful job or whose job was emotionally unfulfilling or draining, retirement may come as a relief. But for people that identified themselves closely with their jobs, like university professors or doctors, leaving work can be extremely stressful.

People who spend decades in the same job, whether they identify with the job or not, will socialize with the people at their jobs more than anyone else. Leaving that environment is like losing your entire social circle at once.

And strong friendships and personal connections can be a necessary aspect of being healthy.

Work engages our minds as well as our bodies. For professionals, leaving work leaves a hole that used to be filled by mental challenges. Work also structures your life with goals and milestones. Once thats gone, it is possible to feel like your boat has lost its rudder.

These stressful life changes are why retirement is listed as a top indicator of health breakdown in the Holmes-Rahe Stress Inventory test. Heart disease in its many forms, from chronic high blood pressure to heart attacks, can be exacerbated by the shock of transitioning from working to retirement. Part of your retirement plan should be saving for health-related expenses, but an equal part should be preventing health problems now.

A good retirement will be one in which youre active as well as free from money stress. Just like you put aside some money from every paycheck for retirement, you should take steps today to make sure you avoid poor health in the future.

This is easier said than done, but there is absolutely nothing you can do (with the exception of our next tip) that will prepare you for a healthy retirement better than establishing good eating habits now.

A lot of common wisdom and official advice has changed over the last 20 years, which means old advice about how much alcohol you should drink and how much sugar is OK may not be what you learned as a young adult.

This isnt breaking news either, but the key to regular exercise is less the exercise than the regular.

Dr. Harvey Simon, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital did a meta-analysis of 22 studies that showed moderate exercise like walking at your normal pace for an hour a day reduces the risk of heart disease considerably.

In one study, just 15 minutes of moderate exercise led to an average increase in life expectancy of three years.

The University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study found that higher purpose in life may play an important role in protecting against myocardial infarction among older American adults with coronary heart disease.

In English, that says the more purpose you find in daily activities like volunteering, starting (and finishing!) new projects, and cultivating new friendships, the lower your chance of heart attack is.

Only 30% of Americans have a long-term financial plan that includes savings and investment goals. However, research finds that people who have a formal written retirement plan are more likely to feel confident and less stressed. In fact, they are more than twice as likely to feel very prepared for retirement than those without a written plan.

Less stress equals better health. A well-written retirement plan equals better health and wealth.

The NewRetirement Planner is the best most comprehensive way to plan your retirement online. It is easy to create and maintain a reliable plan for your future security.

Heart disease is both the leading cause of death in the U.S. and the most preventable. If you have taken the time to think about caring for yourself and your loved ones after you stop working, you should also think about how to protect your health particularly your heart health for them as well.

Its just as easy as putting money in your 401(k) or IRA, and the dividends you get are priceless.

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10 Tips for Taking Care of Your Heart in Retirement - Money Talks News