Author: admin

2026-09-23T09:11:00

(BPT) – Longevity has become a buzzword in recent years, focusing the conversation around living longer. However, there’s another part of the conversation to consider: health span, or the quality of those additional years. It’s not just adding years to your life; it’s about maintaining the movement, mobility and independence to live those years to the max.

The human body was made to move, and movement is part of nearly every moment of daily life. You walk from place to place, bend to pick something up, lift groceries, climb stairs, work at your desk, exercise, care for your family and make time for the hobbies you love. How you move today can heavily influence how active, independent and capable you are years from now.

When pain, stiffness or limited mobility get in the way, those everyday movements can feel harder or out of reach — affecting not only how you move, but also how you’re able to participate in life. Over time, these limitations can negatively impact strength, flexibility, balance, posture, confidence and independence — all of which play an important role in long-term health and longevity.

Movement supports healthspan by helping maintain daily function, including stamina, strength, mobility, balance and recovery. So, how can you support healthy movement and maintain a good quality of life? One answer may be chiropractic care.

Why chiropractic care may be the secret to longevity

Chiropractic care can be a proactive and holistic way to support your body over time. That’s because it aims to benefit the musculoskeletal system, the body’s framework for posture, stability and movement, which consists of bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints.

By supporting the musculoskeletal system through chiropractic care, patients may be able to restore and maintain better mobility, reduce recurring stiffness and stay more comfortable through daily activities that help them stay active and independent as they age.

Chiropractic care may also help relieve pain. In fact, one of the most common reasons people seek this type of treatment is for pain from old or existing injuries, as well as discomfort that can develop from the demands of everyday life, including prolonged sitting, driving, lifting and repetitive activities. When pain gets in the way, it can affect more than how you feel physically, changing how much you move, what you feel comfortable or confident doing and how fully you participate in daily life.

Move long and live fully

Living longer is only part of the goal. Staying active and moving well can help you maintain independence and quality of life as you age, and chiropractic care may be one way to support that. When movement patterns stay efficient, activity feels easier and recovery tends to improve. Supporting healthy movement may make a lasting impact, helping you stay active and maintain your independence as you age.

That said, to get the most benefit from chiropractic care, consistency is key. Just like going to the gym, eating a balanced diet and going on daily walks, routine chiropractic care becomes valuable when aligned with goals and lifestyle demands. Routine means establishing a consistent schedule for care, whether that means weekly, biweekly or another frequency decided on by you and your chiropractor. Over time, this consistency may help support healthy movement and mobility rather than waiting until pain or discomfort gets in the way.

The advantages of chiropractic care may include helping with comfort, range of motion, flexibility, muscle coordination, physical performance, circulation supported by easier movement, sleep quality and mental clarity. When chiropractic care is incorporated into daily life with a regular cadence, it may help the body feel less restricted and more settled.

To learn more about how chiropractic can help you invest in your long-term mobility and find a convenient, affordable clinic near you, visit TheJoint.com.

2026-09-23T23:01:00

(BPT) – Sponsored by University of Phoenix

Key takeaways:

• Key factors to consider when comparing online colleges include: recognized institutional accreditation, schedule flexibility, transparent tuition information, transfer-credit policies, career-relevant curriculum and student support.
• These factors can help prospective working adult students evaluate whether an online university, like University of Phoenix, fits their educational goals and real-life responsibilities.

The World Economic Forum reports that technological change remains one of the biggest forces reshaping jobs through 2030. At the same time, higher education itself is confronting the post-2025 enrollment cliff, as the number of traditional-age students begins to decline. These two realities mean that working adults are now the future of education and must choose a college that helps them keep pacing with rapidly changing technology.

For adults balancing jobs, family responsibilities and financial pressure, the question is not only whether higher education still matters. It is whether a degree program will fit their busy life without overwhelming it, whether their education connects to skills that matter in today’s workplace and whether their school provides support that can help them make progress toward their educational and career goals.

Experts at University of Phoenix share what working adults should look for when evaluating an online university, including how to assess legitimacy, flexibility, career relevance and support.

How can you tell if an online college is legitimate?

A legitimate online university should have recognized institutional accreditation. It might also offer visible student support, transparent tuition, transfer-credit policies, and evidence that its programs are aligned to real occupations and skills.

University of Phoenix, for example, has been continuously accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, hlcommission.org, since 1978.

Adult learners should also look beyond accreditation and ask how the school is designed for completion. Does it offer schedules that work for adults with jobs and families? Does it help students transfer eligible prior credit? Does it connect learning to career-relevant skills? And does it provide support that continues beyond enrollment?

Useful questions to evaluate an online college include:

• How is the program structured for working adults?
• What kinds of academic, advising and career support are available?
• How does the curriculum connect to job-relevant skills?
• Can my prior eligible credits or experience reduce time and cost?
• Are there alumni using the degree in fields similar to mine?

What should working adults look for in an online college?

Many adults worry that their age, life circumstances or family obligations could keep them from succeeding in a degree program. In reality, adult learners are already a major part of higher education and that population is only expected to grow. Let’s look at University of Phoenix again: The average age of UOPX students is 38, with 75% of them working while attending school and 52% with dependents.

That is why fit matters so much. A school built for working adults should reduce friction, not add to it. University of Phoenix emphasizes a model built for working adults, including one five- to six-week course at a time, multiple opportunities to start throughout the year and support designed for adults balancing work, family and school.

Do employers respect online degrees?

While an online college degree has become more widely accepted, some students still question whether employers respect degrees earned online. A 2026 University of Phoenix survey found that the answer is “yes.” According to the survey, 98% of hiring leaders at large U.S. employers in four industries said that online education credentials are more credible than they were 10 years ago.

The survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of University of Phoenix from Jan. 14-30, 2026, among 502 U.S. adults ages 21 and older who are employed full-time, have a job level of manager/supervisor or higher, work in the human resources or learning and development function, are employed at a company with at least 1,000 employees, and operate in the manufacturing, financial services, information technology or health care industry.

The survey also found that 78% of those hiring leaders said workers with these credentials stand out because they bring new and emerging skill sets. Surveyed hiring leaders reported increased productivity (63%), employees picking up skills more quickly to respond to changes in the job market (62%), and more qualified candidates (60%) as a result of employees having online education credentials.

At University of Phoenix, program curriculum maps are informed by labor-market data, faculty expertise, external standards such as accreditation and industry advisory council feedback. That skills-first design supports digital badging, helping learners turn completed coursework into shareable, verified signals of skill development while they are still progressing through a degree.

More recent research offers a University-specific perspective. In a separate 2026 survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of the University, 98% of 204 managers who directly supervise at least one University of Phoenix graduate reported being satisfied overall with the graduate at their organization, and 97% said they are likely to hire someone with a University of Phoenix degree in the future. The findings reflect the reported experiences of managers who have direct supervisory experience with University graduates.

How to find an online degree program aligned with your career goals

Today’s working adults need higher education that does more than putting classes online. They need learning designed around evolving workplace skills, supported by clear student services and recognition of prior learning, and responsive to how AI is changing both jobs and education.

University of Phoenix offers degree programs aligned to more than 300 occupations, reflecting the institution’s broader, skills-mapped, career-focused model. To help learners show progress before graduation, University of Phoenix issues digital badges that translate assessed learning into verified skill signals that can be added to their digital profiles as demonstrated skills, even before graduation. Since 2021, the University has awarded over one million digital badges as part of the University’s skills-aligned, career-focused learning model.

Adult learners returning to higher education often bring valuable prior learning with them. University of Phoenix demonstrates the scale of an institutional model designed to help students preserve eligible academic credit and avoid unnecessary repetition, with more than 7 million transfer credits applied toward degree requirements over the past eight years and up to 87 transfer credits accepted for many bachelor’s programs.

AI literacy is another factor working adults may consider when evaluating an online degree program. University of Phoenix established a framework of academic AI pillars that integrates AI tools and applications into its learning model, including a newly established Center for AI Resources. The University embeds AI literacy and skill-building into its curriculum, expanding AI-enabled learning supports and strengthening policies and workflows that guide responsible, effective use across the academic experience.

Schools serving working adults should also provide career support services. University of Phoenix provides Career Services for Life^® resources for active students and graduates beginning on day one, through degree completion and beyond, offering lifetime access to personalized career coaching, webinars, resume guidance, interview preparation and other resources.

“Working adults are looking for education that fits the realities of their lives and builds skills they can use in a rapidly changing economy,” said University of Phoenix Provost and Chief Academic Officer John Woods, Ph.D. “For 50 years, University of Phoenix has designed flexible education for adults balancing work, family and change. When evaluating an online university, working adults should look for recognized accreditation, transparent information, student support and a learning model built for real life.”

Learn more about University of Phoenix degree programs, transfer-credit opportunities and student support resources at Phoenix.edu.

2026-09-23T08:01:00

(BPT) – Why the incoming college class must trade control for oversight to thrive in the age of AI.

By Arvind Nithrakashyap, CTO and Co-Founder, Rubrik

As you step onto campus this fall, the prevailing narrative about the job market likely feels like a ghost story. You’ve heard that AI is coming for entry-level roles, that coding is dead and that the degree you’re working toward might be obsolete before you cross the stage at graduation.

As a parent of a teen coming of age, and co-founder of a tech startup that went public in the past two years, I’m here to tell you that the reality is far more interesting, and the opportunity is far more compelling.

College students should not see AI as a threat to the jobs they hope to hold. Rather, you should view AI as an opportunity to enter the workforce already knowing and understanding how to direct, evaluate and improve the work of AI agents. Technology skills are no longer reserved for those pursuing tech degrees. Professionals across every industry will need to build them, and now is your time to rise to the challenge.

If you listen to the “AI-washers” in Silicon Valley, you’d think every company is already a perfectly oiled AI machine. The “flying cars” of AI haven’t arrived yet because the bottleneck isn’t the technology; it’s the people. To succeed in this world post-graduation, you don’t need to fear the bot. Your advantage will come from combining human judgment with the ability to direct the bot effectively.

From doer to manager of agents

Today’s college students are essentially the first generation to enter the workforce already prepared to lead with AI. You have an advantage; you do not have to unlearn decades of workplace habits that your predecessors did prior to AI.

The most profound shift you can make during your college years is adopting a change management mindset. Historically, an individual contributor was expected to be a doer who personally touched every line of code or every page of a legal brief.

In the agentic era, you must learn to operate like a manager.

Across the industry, we are seeing people use AI to move beyond the traditional boundaries of their jobs. Meanwhile, some historically technical roles have struggled because they refuse to let go of direct control. They feel they must personally review every step an agent takes, moving only at the speed of a human rather than the speed of a machine.

To succeed, you must get comfortable with acceptable risk. You have to be willing to let an agent run for hours, what I call “YOLO (you only look once) mode,” and audit the results after the fact rather than micromanaging the process.

The proof is in the transformation

All of this is not just theory. At Rubrik, we are deep in the throes of our own AI transformation. We’re seeing these mindset shifts drive meaningful results across every department. For example:

• Legal: Our data privacy legal team, without any engineering help, built an agent that reads and analyzes product code for privacy and data governance gaps. Using this tool moved the team from a block-and-review model to an inform-and-audit model, allowing innovation to move fast while they oversee the stream of activity and maintain portfolio-wide activity.
• Product Management: Our PMs are now building functional prototypes to show customers directly, bypassing the engineering backlog entirely by using AI to bridge the technical gap.
• Operations: A single program management leader automated a manual task that used to require every team to build 10–15 slides for quarterly reviews, turning it into a dynamic dashboard.
• Engineering: We’ve seen roadmap capabilities pulled forward by four months simply because our teams embraced coding agents.

The common thread with these examples is not technical expertise alone. The people creating the greatest value know how to define a problem, give an AI system appropriate boundaries, evaluate its work and remain accountable for the result.

Your mission: Reframe the college experience

During college, the fundamentals of your expertise area are still critical; you still need to learn how to write, analyze, build and reason without relying on AI. Then learn how AI can extend those abilities. Practice breaking large problems into clear assignments. Learn to test outputs, identify weak reasoning and recognize when a decision requires human judgment and taste.

Don’t spend the next four years trying to protect your domain from AI. Spend them learning how to govern it. Students who develop foundational expertise and AI leadership skills will not simply be prepared for the future of work. They will help define it.

The job market isn’t shrinking; it’s evolving. The door is wide open for those who enter their professions not as laborers, but as architects of autonomous systems.

Welcome to the agentic era.

2026-09-23T09:41:00

(BPT) – Food insecurity can affect anyone, from seniors living on a fixed income to parents managing increasing grocery costs. And when humans face hunger, their pets often do, too.

Nearly 48 million people in the U.S. experience food insecurity and roughly 30 million pets live in homes with people experiencing food insecurity. Despite the prevalence of pet hunger, awareness remains low. According to a new PetSmart Charities survey, only 31% of people say they are very aware that pet hunger in the home exists at all*, while more than one-third (36%) report having little to no awareness of the issue.

The reality is that pet hunger is not siloed from the growing issue of human food insecurity, but is often deeply connected. And when people don’t have enough to feed themselves or don’t know where their next meal will come from, they may have to make difficult decisions for the sake of their pets.

An impossible choice

Pets aren’t just companions. Many people consider their pets to be family members, so it should come as no surprise that humans are willing to make personal sacrifices to keep their pets fed.

According to Meals on Wheels America, one in five seniors will forgo their own meals, filling their pets’ bowls first. Additionally, many Meals on Wheels volunteers have discovered that the food trays they delivered to clients were often left on the floor as pet parents shared their meals with their pets.

But when sharing food is not enough, pet parents have to make even more difficult decisions — 56% report having had to reduce other costs in their life to afford pet food, and 13% of pet parents who’ve experienced difficulty affording pet food have considered rehoming or surrendering their pet, crowding already full animal shelters.

Helping fill bowls for humans and pets

When human services organizations can meet pet parents where they’re at, it may help reduce preventable surrenders. Among pet owners who have personally struggled to afford pet food, 87% place pet food availability at community food banks or mobile food pantries among their top forms of support, followed closely by free or low-cost pet food distribution programs (86%). While available pet food at food banks can vary by community, there are organizations and social services who are making strides in addressing hunger on both ends of the leash.

For the past few years, PetSmart Charities has partnered with Feeding America^® and Meals on Wheels America to distribute pet food to the families they serve year-round. Since the beginning of this initiative, the organizations have helped provide hundreds of millions of pet meals to families in need.

“Love for our pets isn’t measured by our bank account balances,” said Aimee Gilbreath, president of PetSmart Charities. “When times are tough, we want to ensure people have access to the resources they need to make sure their pets can stay in their homes doing what they do best — giving unconditional love and companionship. Our partnerships are rooted in addressing the connection between human and pet hunger, and we’d encourage all social services agencies to consider adding services for pets, too.”

If you need support to keep yourself and your pet fed, know that you are not alone. You can visit the Meals on Wheels and Feeding America websites to learn more about how you can access pet food along with food assistance.

In honor of PetSmart Charities Pet Hunger Awareness Day^® (Sept. 29), PetSmart customers can contribute funds directly at checkout or donate PetSmart Treats Rewards points to support the programs that help keep humans and pets fed.

To learn more about Pet Hunger Awareness Day or to donate, visit PetSmartCharities.org.

2026-09-22T12:21:00

(BPT) – Small businesses keep America moving. They build homes, repair essential systems, deliver goods and provide the services communities count on every day. Together they generate roughly 44% of U.S. economic activity. In the Federal Reserve’s latest Small Business Credit Survey, small employers cited rising costs as their most common financial challenge, and only 42% of businesses that sought financing received the full amount they requested. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve increased interest rates by 0.25 percentage points, bringing its benchmark rate to a range of 3.75% to 4.00% — its first hike since July 2023 — as it works to address inflation that has stayed above its 2% target.

For small businesses already navigating rising costs, this added borrowing expense makes financing options that avoid interest charges an even more meaningful consideration.

For a contractor, electrician, plumber, delivery company or mobile service provider, a van is where the business runs. It carries the crew, the tools and the materials that get from one customer to the next. Ford Pro, the industry leader in commercial vehicles, wants to help.

From September 16 through September 30, qualifying buyers can take advantage of 0% financing for 60 months through Ford Credit on an eligible 2026 Ford Transit van. For businesses looking to add capacity or replace an aging vehicle, financing without interest charges can be a meaningful consideration as operating costs continue to climb.

“Rising costs shouldn’t stand between skilled tradespeople and their ability to grow,” said Alicia Boler Davis, president of Ford Pro. “To keep this essential backbone of our economy thriving, we have to deliver affordable, accessible solutions that ease the burden and help them get ahead.”

The offer arrives as Transit continues to win over businesses. After a record year in 2025, with 161,797 vans sold, Transit recorded 78,925 sales through the first half of 2026, and it remains America’s best-selling van. That momentum reflects a broader lead for Ford Pro, which holds a 40.4% share of the U.S. Class 1 through 7 commercial truck and van segment so far in 2026, keeping Ford the country’s No. 1 commercial vehicle brand.

Much of the appeal of Transit comes down to versatility. Across the full lineup, the 2026 Ford Transit offers 38 model configurations, including cargo van, passenger van, chassis cab and cutaway models, with a range of roof heights, body lengths and wheelbases. That breadth lets businesses from contracting to delivery to passenger transport match the van to the job rather than the other way around. The 0% APR financing offer applies specifically to the eligible 2026 Transit Van Low Roof model.

For 2026, Transit also gets smarter. A built-in 5G modem, an 8-inch digital instrument cluster and standard SYNC 4 with a 12-inch center display keep the vehicle connected, while a standard Vehicle Maintenance Monitor helps owners stay ahead of service.

Behind the vehicle stands Ford Pro, the ecosystem built to keep businesses running. Ford Pro Telematics gives owners a clear view of vehicle location, usage and health, and paid Ford Pro Intelligence subscriptions have surpassed 900,000, up about 20% in the first half of the year. Ford Pro FinSimple offers flexible commercial financing tailored to how a business actually uses its vehicles. And Ford Pro Mobile Service, backed by a nationwide network of more than 700 Commercial Vehicle Centers, helps keep routine maintenance from turning into costly downtime. A work van earns its keep when it is on the road, and these services are built to keep it there.

To learn more and confirm eligibility, visit the Ford Pro Vehicle Offers page or contact your local Ford dealer.

Offer Disclaimer

*Eligible vehicle: 2026 Transit Van Low Roof model. Not all buyers will qualify for Ford Credit APR financing. 60 months at $16.67 per month per $1,000 financed, regardless of down payment. Place a new retail order or take new retail delivery from an authorized Ford Dealer’s stock between 9/16/26 and 9/30/26. See dealer for qualifications and details. U.S. only.

2026-09-22T13:01:00

(BPT) – Key takeaways:

• Today’s PR and MarCom strategies go beyond Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to also focus on Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).
• GEO no longer aims for ranking and clicks, but to be included and cited in summarized AI responses to user queries.
• GEO and SEO are not interchangeable, nor are they rivals: Both can be used strategically to achieve optimal brand visibility in 2026.
• Brandpoint Optimize360™ can enhance your brand’s AI visibility through focused strategy and always-on monitoring that reveals how AI describes your brand, where you stand against competitors and next steps to grow.

As recently as three years ago, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) was king: PR and MarCom professionals used keywords, on-page optimization, technical site health and backlinks to gain higher ranking on search results and the holy grail: clicks.

Fast forward to 2026, and everyone’s talking about Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). Due to the exponential growth of AI searches, today’s consumers are asking longer questions, and AI is responding by summarizing answers instead of providing top clickable links.

A June 2026 study by SparkToro found that 68% of Google searches end without a click. In today’s zero-click world, brands need to strive to show up inside summarized AI responses instead.

What is generative engine optimization (GEO)?

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) works to increase the likelihood that a brand, product or piece of content gets surfaced, summarized or cited in AI-generated answers.

To help AI crawlers find your content and deem it worth citing in its responses, it’s vital to emphasize:

• Credibility/authority through reputable third-party links and your content’s presence with recognized publishers
• Frequency/consistency of messaging across the web over time
• Recency via up-to-date, timely information
• Quotability through clear structure and concise writing

What’s the difference between SEO and GEO?

SEO focuses on keywords/short phrases to improve indexing, as well as site speed and usability, backlink building and content structure designed to help brands rank in the top 10 of search results pages to gain clicks.

GEO goes beyond keywords and phrases to consider the consumer’s complete question, along with its context, intent and nuance.

Today, content optimized for keywords doesn’t automatically satisfy an AI prompt, and success is no longer about getting your page to rank. AI visibility depends on how your brand is represented across the web, whether via paid or earned media.

2026-09-22T16:11:00

(BPT) – September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness of pediatric cancers and recognize the children and families affected by these diseases.

According to Children’s Cancer Cause, approximately 15,000 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer each year in the U.S. There are more than 13 major types of pediatric cancers and more than 200 subtypes. One rare but incredibly challenging type of childhood cancer is high-risk neuroblastoma.

“Neuroblastoma is a cancer that develops from immature nerve cells and most commonly affects infants and young children,” said Michele Ritter, a pediatric oncology nurse practitioner who worked closely with patients for over 30 years and now serves as a Clinical Nurse Educator at US WorldMeds. “While some forms can be treated successfully, children with high-risk neuroblastoma face a particularly difficult journey.”

To help shine a light on high-risk neuroblastoma, highlight the importance of maintenance treatment and celebrate the role of caregivers, Ritter has answered some of the most common questions about high-risk neuroblastoma.

Why is high-risk neuroblastoma considered one of the most challenging childhood cancers?

The disease is aggressive and carries a significant risk of relapse, even after intensive treatment. Advances in treatment have improved outcomes, but preventing relapse remains one of the biggest challenges for families and healthcare providers.

Many people assume treatment ends when a child is declared cancer-free. Why is the period after remission still so important?

Achieving remission is a major milestone worth celebrating. However, it doesn’t always mean the journey is over. Even when scans show no evidence of disease, cancer recurrence is still a concern. That’s why physicians continue to monitor patients closely and may recommend additional strategies designed to help maintain remission and reduce the risk of relapse.

What is maintenance therapy?

After a patient has completed up-front therapy and achieved remission, they may be given maintenance therapy to help sustain the response already achieved and reduce the risk of the disease returning.

What do families need to know about the risk of relapse in high-risk neuroblastoma?

Relapse remains one of the biggest concerns in high-risk neuroblastoma. Even if children complete aggressive up-front therapy, about one-third of patients will experience relapse. That’s why physicians remain focused on helping children achieve remission and implementing strategies that may help sustain it over time.

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month shines a spotlight on patients, but what about caregivers?

Caregivers are truly unsung heroes and play a vital role throughout every stage of the cancer journey. Parents and family members often spend months or even years navigating appointments, treatments, hospital stays and emotional challenges while advocating for their children every step of the way. Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the resilience, dedication and essential role caregivers play in supporting children through treatment and recovery.

What message would you like families affected by high-risk neuroblastoma to hear this Childhood Cancer Awareness Month?

Families should know there’s a real reason for hope, as advances in research and treatment continue to improve. They should also know they’re not alone. There are multiple advocacy groups that can provide support and resources, and the medical community remains deeply committed to improving treatments, reducing the risk of relapse, and helping more children thrive long after cancer treatment ends.