Month: October 2026

2026-10-22T06:01:00

(BPT) – Arron Johnson, of Union, New Jersey, was a teenager when alopecia areata began changing how he saw himself and moved through the world.

Thirty years later, 18-year-old Liam Simmons, of Waxhaw, North Carolina, is preparing for college with the same autoimmune disease.

They are two Black men from different generations, connected by an experience that reaches far beyond visible hair loss.

For Johnson, it began with a trip to the barber. He came home and noticed a bald spot, initially thinking his barber had clipped him. But the hair loss continued. What he couldn’t see was what was happening beneath the surface.

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks hair follicles. Approximately 700,000 Americans have some form of the disease, according to a 2020 study published in Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology. For Johnson, it progressed to alopecia universalis, resulting in the loss of all his hair.

The impact went much deeper than appearance.

“I didn’t like who I saw in the mirror,” Johnson says. “Everyone in my family looked a certain way, and I was the person who looked different.”

He began hiding beneath hats and du-rags, missing weddings, staying out of pools and pulling back from parties.

Years later, Johnson realized during his commute to work that he had forgotten his du-rag. He could turn around or keep going.

“I had a choice to return and go back to hiding, or I had a choice to live authentically as myself,” he says. “I chose to live authentically regardless of the insecurities I faced.”

Today, Johnson is an author, coach, father and advocate passionate about increasing representation of Black men living with alopecia areata.

Simmons’ experience is different.

Diagnosed at age 2, alopecia has been part of his life for almost as long as he can remember. As a teenager, he became more aware of comments, stares and the ways hair could shape belonging.

“As a Black man, hair is such a big part of identity,” Simmons says. A lifelong basketball player, he sometimes feels disconnected when friends, teammates and his brothers talk about hairstyles. “It’s something I want to be part of.”

Now Simmons is preparing to study political science in college, with plans to pursue law. Starting over socially on a large campus brings a new challenge.

“There’s a part of me that’s analyzing everybody and trying to figure out who’s looking at me and who’s not,” he says.

Their experiences show why alopecia areata should not be dismissed as cosmetic. Hair loss may be its most visible sign, but the disease can affect identity, confidence, relationships, school, work and daily life.

Their stories are part of Beyond the Mirror, a National Alopecia Areata Foundation^® (NAAF^®) campaign bringing together lived experience and scientific evidence to reveal the full burden of alopecia areata.

“Beyond the Mirror to me is about looking at yourself and not just seeing your physical appearance, but seeing the relationships and the past experiences and all these key defining moments that make you who you are,” Simmons says.

Johnson can now look back at the teenager who once hid from the world. Simmons, at 18, is looking forward.

The road ahead will be his own. But he is beginning it in a world where people like Johnson have chosen to be visible, speak openly and make the path a little less lonely for whoever comes next.

Learn more at naaf.org/beyond-the-mirror and join the conversation using #MoreThanHairLoss.

2026-10-21T04:01:00

(BPT) – By Janet Murguía, President and CEO, UnidosUS

Work hard and you can get ahead. For the many working-class Latinos who work long hours, often at more than one job, and stretch every dollar, that no longer rings true. Nearly seven in 10 told us in a new UnidosUS survey of working-class Hispanic adults that they are falling further behind. The ladder of upward mobility is broken.

With a new legislative session ahead, lawmakers have an opportunity to act on these findings.

As we learned from the UnidosUS Economic Prosperity Agenda, the message from Latinos is practical, urgent and rooted in their everyday experiences. Forty percent of working-class Latinos say their economic situation has gotten worse in the past year. Seventy percent currently struggle to afford gas and more than 60% struggle to pay utility bills or buy groceries. The basics are harder to afford, resulting in growing economic insecurity. These solutions will require action from Congress to take effect.

That pressure is compounded by a mass deportation agenda that has resulted in a two-for-one economic and humanitarian crisis. Forty-four percent of working-class Latinos report that immigration enforcement has negatively affected their household finances, and nearly 1 in 5 say it has increased their household expenses. Among Hispanic small-business owners, 60% say immigration enforcement has hurt their business, often through lost customers and workforce disruptions.

Latinos surveyed want to see a demonstrated commitment by our political leaders to address the economic concerns that all working-class families face every day, and they support concrete solutions: 77% back raising the federal minimum wage to $25 an hour, 80% support universal public child care and early childhood education, and 83% support federal funding to lower monthly energy bills.

With the midterms just weeks away, 58% of working-class Latinos say no party, campaign or organization has asked for their vote. As the head of the nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization, my message to candidates is simple: if you want Latino support, earn it consistently, not just in the final weeks of a campaign but while in office, too.

Long-term legislation from Congress would help provide stability for working families and the economy. Working-class Latino families are asking for the opportunity of the American Dream, and their concerns are shared by millions of working-class Americans. What is needed now is the political will to listen and deliver.

2026-10-20T03:33:00

(BPT) – Key takeaways:

• Enterprises are rapidly adopting AI agents for contract management. But when contract data lacks context, the answers AI produces can be difficult to trust.
• Contract data is often fragmented and disconnected from the commercial context teams need to make decisions. This creates contract blindness.
• Agents can deliver quickly, but incomplete contract knowledge can produce fast, confident and costly mistakes. The answer is contract awareness: connecting contract data with the context behind it so teams and AI can have relevant context.
• Contract-aware enterprises don’t start from zero. They use the learnings, negotiations and commitments buried in the contract history to act with the right commercial context during the decisions that matter.
• To learn more about what it takes to become a contract-aware enterprise, visit https://www.sirion.ai/library/reports/contract-aware-enterprise/.

Enterprises are racing to integrate AI agents into their contract processes, with 42% of organizations already actively adopting or implementing AI within contracting processes.* However, in many organizations, contract data is scattered, incomplete and disconnected from the business context that gives it meaning. The information exists, but it isn’t always available to the teams that need it to make decisions. Imagine a major supplier renewal is due tomorrow, and multiple departments need information as soon as possible. Procurement needs price adjustment information, legal needs contract terms, finance needs the budget and forecasting, and operations needs performance metrics.

The answers may all exist somewhere in the enterprise. The challenge is bringing that information together and understanding it in the context of the business relationship.

This condition is best recognized as contract blindness.

A contract-blind organization has the terms, obligations and leverage negotiated, but no person, system or AI agent can contextualize or reliably use them when decision time arrives. Over time, that gap translates into value leakage, slower decisions and weaker control over risk and performance. WorldCC highlights that poor contract management can cost an enterprise 9% of its annual revenue.

And the arrival of AI makes the problem harder to ignore.

Why contract blindness endures

Enterprises don’t necessarily lack contract data. They lack a connected view of it, because data is still siloed by function. Legal owns the language, procurement owns the supplier, finance sees spending and revenue, and business owners manage performance. In fact, contract data in a typical enterprise is often scattered across 24 systems.

Research highlights the scope of the fragmentation across global enterprises. Only 27% of organizations globally store all executed contracts exclusively in a contract lifecycle management (CLM) platform, with the majority operating in fragmented environments.*

And in any case, having a repository is not enough. Even with a CLM, contract data can remain fragmented and disconnected across systems, limiting data flow and deepening contract blindness. In fact, 54% of organizations report no automated data flow between systems and only 9% have bidirectional data flow where systems stay in sync.*

Disconnected data makes it harder for teams to bring together the information they need to make informed decisions. The emerging challenge is that same fragmentation can limit the context available to AI agents when they act. AI agents are designed to do more than retrieve information. They can review contracts, answer questions, recommend actions and initiate workflows. That makes the quality and context of the underlying contract data more important than ever, because AI will deliver the best outcome it can—based on the information it has access to.

Consider the supplier renewal.

An agent asked whether a supplier can raise its prices might find the relevant clause and confidently provide an answer. But what if an amendment changed the pricing mechanism? What if a negotiated exception applies to this supplier? What if the supplier agreed to a performance commitment in exchange for the increase?

The agent may have found the right clause. It may even have interpreted that clause correctly. But without the surrounding contract context, its answer could still lead the business in the wrong direction.

The problem isn’t that the AI cannot read the contract.

The problem is that it does not know what else it needs to read.

That distinction matters. AI can only create context from the information it can access. But when relevant contract data is fragmented across systems, an agent does not have enough information to understand the full commercial picture. An agent working from an incomplete contract record can produce an answer that sounds authoritative while missing the exception, obligation, negotiation or commercial condition that changes what the business should do.

The stakes change when AI moves from reading contracts to acting on them. The question is no longer whether AI can find the right clause, but whether it understands what that clause means for the business.

The goal is no longer just to find, summarize or draft contracts faster. It is to make the full story of a contract accessible, from its terms and obligations to the negotiations and relationships behind them.

How to turn contract data into usable knowledge

A contract-aware enterprise treats its agreements as a connected business asset rather than a collection of documents. By making contract data continuously accessible, contextual and actionable across the business, leaders can perform analyses, surface real-time insights, build high-leverage agreements and instantly answer commercial questions that were previously impossible to ask.

So, what does contract awareness look like in practice?

In the supplier-renewal scenario above, procurement can see the price adjustment alongside previous negotiations, legal can identify exceptions and fallback language, finance can forecast the monetary impact, and operations can compare service with actual performance. Each team works from the same connected contract knowledge, allowing the enterprise as a whole to make informed decisions with its obligations and leverage intact.

Each team is working from connected contract knowledge rather than an isolated piece of the agreement. The result is not simply better visibility. It is better decision-making.

Creating contract awareness requires more than adding AI to an existing repository.

An AI-native CLM can create a connected contract intelligence layer by structuring agreement data around counterparties, deals, obligations and other contract elements while preserving the relationships and context between them.

This new approach enables AI agents to act on what you need, not on what you click. By combining context and intent, an agent can answer questions like, “Which suppliers have price increases without corresponding service improvements?” and “Which obligations are at risk of being missed?” The result: A workflow that can move from question to insight to action without losing the commercial context.

Moving from contract knowledge to commercial action

The next phase of enterprise AI won’t be defined by access to powerful models. It will be defined by whether those models can act within the right business context.

By moving from contract blindness to contract awareness, enterprises can give both people and AI agents a more complete view of the agreements that shape their commercial relationships. To learn more about the contract-aware enterprise, visit https://www.sirion.ai/library/reports/contract-aware-enterprise/.

*Sirion and World Commerce & Contracting, “Trusted Contract Data: From Repository to System of Record,” 2026.

2026-10-20T15:31:01

(BPT) – Filing your taxes is never a top item on anyone’s fun to-do list, but it’s definitely a must, and can lead to a very welcome refund. The good news is, there’s a new service that can help make getting taxes done a lot easier, and without breaking the bank. Many are already familiar with Credit Karma, the personal finance platform from Intuit that helps users track their credit scores, but may not know about the recently launched Credit Karma Tax.

This new service is being offered at a simple, flat-rate pricing model to all members, no matter their tax complexity:

• $0 for federal taxes
• $15 for state filing*

With Credit Karma Tax, members get self-guided DIY tax filing, with real-time AI help to simplify the entire process, tackling much of the manual work that makes filing tedious and time-consuming. AI-powered tools support members every step of the way, giving them a head start by centralizing key financial data, optimizing tax outcomes, delivering refunds faster, and building long-term financial health long after they submit their taxes. It is designed to meet the shifting expectations of modern filers, particularly Gen Z and younger taxpayers making under $50K who want a reliable free DIY option regardless of tax complexity.

Unmatched speed and convenience

Credit Karma is already part of millions of consumers’ daily financial routines. Because the platform centralizes a member’s financial data, including income, credit, cash flow and taxes, all in one place, this gives Credit Karma members a head start. Filers can skip the manual data entry: simply snap a photo or automatically import forms directly from employers or financial institutions, including stock sales, plus financial and crypto transactions. Credit Karma Tax then uses this information to pre-fill the return.

Thanks to its comprehensive document checklist and gathering tools, Credit Karma Tax takes the guesswork out of filing. With no complexity restrictions, local gig workers, freelancers and small business contractors can take advantage of the free federal filing without unexpected upsells.

Financial progress and confidence

It’s natural to worry about filing correctly, and to wonder when that refund will show up. Now, from the instant members start the filing process to the moment the refund lands, Credit Karma Tax uses Intuit’s domain expertise, AI and platform technology to get members’ taxes done right and make that money work harder for them.

Credit Karma Tax provides:

Real-time help — Giving clear explanations of return outcomes and catching errors along the way, using built-in AI tools like its expert chat function and coming soon, Explanation and Error Agents. Credit Karma Tax runs thousands of accuracy checks before submission to ensure compliance with IRS and state requirements. All returns are backed by a 100% accuracy guarantee. If a calculation error causes an IRS or state penalty, Intuit covers the penalty and interest. Over the past 14 years, Intuit has helped Americans file more than 150 million tax returns for free, more than all other tax prep companies combined.

Assistance beyond filing — Tax refunds are often the single biggest financial event of the year for Americans. Credit Karma transforms that moment into year-round financial health through its suite of AI-powered financial tools:

• The Refund Agent turns refunds into actionable plans to pay down debt, save or invest
• The Debt Agent builds personalized paydown plans, saving members $200+ a month and
• The Paycheck Agent allocates paychecks across bills, spending and goals.

Faster access to money — With 70% of Americans relying on tax refunds to cover basic living expenses, Credit Karma Tax can provide accelerated access to funds.

Up to 5 days early: Access 2026 federal tax refunds up to 5 days early for free with deposit into a Credit Karma Checking account.[1]

Refund Advance loan: With the upcoming launch of Credit Karma Tax’s Tax Year 2026 offering, apply for an up to $4,000 Refund Advance loan with $0 loan fees and 0% APR.[2]

Simple, flat-rate pricing

To make the next tax filing season even easier and more affordable, Credit Karma Tax offers a predictable, flat-rate pricing structure, regardless of each member’s tax complexity, with no hidden fees: $0 for federal filing and $15 per state filing.

For filers seeking added peace of mind or expert support as they file their 2026 taxes, Credit Karma Tax offers straightforward, optional paid add-ons:

Expert Support Bundle: Includes audit defense, ID protection benefits, 1:1 live product support and the ability to pay the $15 state fee using the tax refund. ($29 at launch. Pricing subject to change.)[1]

Expert Final Review: An option to add a final review by a tax expert to the above bundle will also be available at launch. ($39 at launch. Pricing subject to change.)[1]

Operating as a distinct, streamlined tax preparation offering, Credit Karma Tax is available on the Credit Karma website and app. To learn more, become a member and create a free Credit Karma account, visit CreditKarma.com.

2026-10-19T07:01:00

(BPT) – Do you often experience itchy, red and painful skin on your hands? Or experience dryness, cracking and flaking so bad it interferes with your daily life? You may be one of the 1 in 10 people worldwide living with a chronic condition called Chronic Hand Eczema (CHE).¹

CHE is an inflammatory condition that can be unpredictable and look different for everyone.¹ If you think you or a loved one may have CHE, here are five important things to know:

1. CHE is not just eczema on your hands

While the condition may coexist with atopic dermatitis, or eczema, CHE is a distinct, chronic, recurring inflammatory skin disease affecting the hands and wrists.^1,2 Clinically, hand eczema is considered chronic when it lasts for more than 3 months or relapses at least twice within a single year.³ It is not uncommon, with 1 in 10 people worldwide living with CHE.¹

2. CHE may appear differently from person to person

Common symptoms of CHE include itching, pain, redness, scaling and fissures.² However, CHE can be challenging to recognize and diagnose because symptoms may present differently from person to person based on the subtype of disease, severity and areas affected.¹ In some people, symptoms may occur on their palms or fingers, while in others, symptoms may be present on the backs of the hands, fingertips or wrists.³

3. Certain triggers may cause symptoms to worsen at times

CHE is associated with skin barrier dysfunction and skin inflammation, leaving skin vulnerable to dryness and irritation.¹ Environmental and occupational factors such as prolonged exposure to water from frequent handwashing, soaps, cleaning agents, detergents, cold/dry climates or latex gloves can trigger flare-ups.³ Other triggers include biological and lifestyle factors like a history of atopic dermatitis, contact allergies, genetic factors, stress or tobacco use.³

4. The impact of CHE goes beyond the skin

Our hands are essential to how we navigate the world — from typing an email or preparing meals to holding a loved one’s hand or expressing ourselves creatively.

Because of the highly visible role our hands play in our lives, CHE is often associated with anxiety, low self-esteem, social phobia, embarrassment and self-isolation.¹ In fact, 79% of people living with CHE state it has a negative effect on their mood and 76% report it affects social or leisure activities.⁴ About 50% of people with CHE experience painful symptoms in their hands, like cracks and scaling, which can make it physically difficult to hold or touch everyday objects.²

5. It‘s important to see a dermatologist if you think you have CHE

CHE may be difficult to manage, but there are ways to help reduce symptoms, support skin health and improve quality of life.

If you think you have CHE, talk to a dermatologist, who can help develop a personalized plan for you. Managing CHE typically depends on the severity and stage of the disease, possible causes or triggers, the area affected and its impact on everyday life. General measures, such as avoiding irritants and allergens where possible, protecting the hands, and using emollients and moisturizers regularly to support the skin barrier can play an important part in this plan.³ Your doctor may also consider medical treatment.

For more information, visit the Chronic World Hand Eczema Day landing page, a resource about CHE created to recognize October 5 as the first World Chronic Hand Eczema Day, an awareness initiative designed to shed light on this persistent condition. While the dedicated day brings crucial global focus to the disease, having a better understanding of CHE, its symptoms, triggers, impact and how to manage it, is important year-round.

References:

1. Dubin C, Del Duca E, Guttman-Yassky E. Ther Clin Risk Manag. 2020;16:1319-1332. doi:10.2147/TCRM.S292504
2. Grant L, et al. Adv Ther. 2020;37(2):692-706. doi:10.1007/s12325-019-01164-5
3. Thyssen JP, et al. Contact Dermatitis. 2022;86(5):357-378. doi:10.1111/cod.14035
4. Ahmed A, et al. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2015;40(5):495-501. doi:10.1111/ced.12619

MAT-99811

2026-10-19T08:01:00

(BPT) – As the weather gets colder, it’s important to remember that cold and flu season swiftly follows. Respiratory illnesses typically rise in October and peak into winter, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), making this a crucial time to start preventive steps to keep your household healthier, all season long.

To help your family enjoy the season with fewer sneezes and sniffles, there are several steps you can take now.

Encourage handwashing

This time of year, you’re likely to spend a lot more time indoors, as well as get together with friends and family for holidays and celebrations. Remind everyone in your household that this is the most important time of year to be extra vigilant about washing hands regularly to help keep germs from spreading, especially after returning home from work, school and social gatherings, and always before eating.

Use a germ-killing household disinfectant

Another effective tactic is making sure to disinfect high-touch surfaces throughout your home, including doorknobs, handles, light switches, railings, countertops and more. This is especially important before and after indoor gatherings, and even more crucial when someone in your family is or has been sick.

A trusted household disinfectant like Microban 24, which has just returned to market via Amazon, makes it easier than ever for consumers to incorporate 24-hour bacteria protection into household disinfecting routines.

Microban 24 initially kills 99.9% of cold and flu viruses,* and has the added benefit of killing 99.9% of bacteria that can live on hard, non-porous, non-food contact surfaces up to 24 hours** after treatment, when used as directed.

“Cold and flu season is the prime time when families should become most intentional about cleaning and disinfecting surfaces they touch often,” said Jesse Turmenne, senior microbiologist for Microban.

Unlike many products that only kill bacteria with the initial application, both Microban 24 Sanitizing Spray and Microban 24 Multi-Purpose Cleaner offer continuous 24-hour bacteria protection on treated surfaces for up to 24 hours.**

“Ongoing protection for 24 hours after use is a real benefit when disinfecting high-touch and repeated use areas like door handles, light switches, bathroom counters and desks,” said Turmenne.

He added that Microban 24 Sanitizing Spray also kills bacteria when used as directed on soft surfaces such as couches, backpacks and coats.

Follow healthy habits

In addition to frequent handwashing and keeping high-touch household surfaces disinfected, following a healthy lifestyle can also help safeguard against the worst that cold and flu season can dish out. For example, making sure to get plenty of sleep, eating nutritious foods, staying hydrated and getting regular exercise are additional ways to support your family’s overall health and well-being during the fall and year round.

Visit Microban24.com to learn more about disinfecting your home during cold and flu season.

*Human Coronavirus, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), Influenza A H1N1.

**When used as directed, effective for 24 hours against Staphylococcus aureus & Klebsiella aerogenes bacteria. Microban 24 Hour Sanitizing Spray does not provide 24-hour residual virus protection.

2026-10-16T13:01:00

(BPT) – If the power were to go out right now, how long could you keep your refrigerator cold? According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, you’ve got just four hours without power before refrigerated perishable foods like meat, poultry, fish, eggs and leftovers spoil and must be thrown out. If you store insulin or temperature-sensitive medication, you might have to throw those out as well, posing a possible medical risk.

Power outages vary by region and cause. That said, given the average U.S. electricity customer experienced 5.5 hours of power interruption in 2022, it can be a gamble whether the lights will turn back on before your food spoils.

The good news is that you can keep your fridge running even when the lights go out with a backup battery system. However, that raises the question: what size battery do you need to power your fridge?

“The goal isn’t to buy the biggest battery,” said Beau, Jackery’s in-house former licensed electrician. “When choosing a home backup solution, it’s best to choose one that fits the way your household will use it. A household that plans to power just the fridge during a short power outage won’t need the same battery capacity as a household that plans to power a fridge and other essentials for several days.”

Matching the backup to your household needs

To determine what size battery backup you’ll need during an outage, you’ll need to understand the difference between a few important terms:

• Essential loads are the devices you want running continuously. In addition to your refrigerator, you’ll likely want to power your internet equipment, a lamp or two, and your phone.
• Daytime loads are items you use during waking hours (from 9 a.m.-10 p.m.), like a television, laptop or fan.
• Short-use loads are appliances that run briefly, like a microwave, coffee maker or other device you can use one at a time rather than continuously.

If you only want to run essential loads like powering your refrigerator, a smaller home backup battery will do, but if you’re looking to power daytime and short-use loads, you’ll need a backup solution that packs a bigger punch. Below, check out Beau’s top backup power solution recommendations that complement different households’ power needs.

Just the refrigerator: If your only priority is keeping your food cold, Beau recommends a purpose-built option like Jackery’s FridgeGuard. Its 1024Wh base battery is designed to keep a standard refrigerator running for about 15 hours, but you can expand its capacity to 2048Wh, increasing runtime to about 30 hours. Plus, you can choose Delay AC mode to relieve the refrigerator compressor or a sub-10ms UPS to seamlessly restart your refrigerator so that the compressor won’t stop at all.

For essentials with room to grow: Keep your home office running with the HomePower 1000 Plus V2. It’s a smarter alternative to a traditional UPS, keeping laptops, Wi-Fi and monitors online when the grid goes down. Starting at 1024Wh, it’s portable enough to take outdoors, and scaling up is simple: just add battery packs as your needs grow, up to 11kWh. And with 6,000 charge cycles delivering up to 16 years of reliable performance, it’s peace of mind long-term.

Another great option for this scenario is the HomePower 2000 Plus V2. The power station has a base capacity of 2048 Wh and an output of 2400W. Jackery estimates that base capacity will run a standard 200W refrigerator by itself for about seven to eight hours, and the system can expand to 12kWh. It suits shoppers who want more power for mixed essentials and the option to build out a fuller system later.

For longer coverage and household flexibility: To back up your home’s essential circuits, step up to the HomePower 3600 Plus or the Explorer 5000 Plus.

The HomePower 3600 Plus pairs portability with whole-circuit backup. It’s compatible with a Manual Transfer Switch, so it can power the circuits you choose. Its 3584Wh base battery runs a refrigerator for roughly 14 to 18 hours, and when expanded to 21kWh, you get up to 14 days of fridge backup with room for daytime loads.

The Explorer 5000 Plus is Beau’s preferred solution for households wanting a more comprehensive system. Paired with the Smart Transfer Switch, it switches over automatically in 0ms, so your essentials never miss a beat. Starting at 5040Wh with 7200W of output, it expands to 60kWh for up to two weeks of multi-room power.

There’s no time like the present to protect your fridge. To learn more about home backup battery options and find the right solution for your household, visit Jackery.com.