U.S. Issues 9 New Travel Advisory Updates For September - Travel Off Path

Posted on Last updated: September 20, 2022 Categories Travel, Travel News
By: Author Kyle Hulme
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The United States has issued 9 new travel advisory updates for September. The updates, which were posted onto the State Department’s website just yesterday, were issued as we enter a busy fall and winter period of international travel and could have a significant impact on the travel plans of many. A diverse range of countries were affected, from stunning Caribbean islands to a pair of African gems that could be on the radar for fans of traveling off path. Here’s a look at which countries were affected by yesterday’s updates. 
Cabo Verde received a Level 1 travel warning in yesterday’s update, highlighting the destination as one of the safest places to visit in the world. The stunning archipelago, which is located off the eastern coast of Africa in the Atlantic Ocean, is home to areas that have more risk than others, with arrivals asked to exercise increased caution in the capital city of Praia due to crime, such as burglary, armed robbery, and assault. According to the CDC, Cabo Verde has a low level of Covid-19.
Another stunning collection of islands to receive a Level 1 update was Fiji. Those traveling to the 300-island archipelago – which is situated 1,100 nautical miles north of New Zealand – are recommended to exercise normal precautions, allowing them to explore the country’s clear lagoons, coral reefs, and stunning beaches with relative peace of mind. The CDC indicates that there is a moderate level of Covid-19 in Fiji. 
Kuwait and Mauritius have also been handed Level 1 travel advisory updates by the State Department. However, that doesn’t mean that travel to these destinations is completely without risk. Those heading to Kuwait have been warned not to travel to the border with Iraq due to the prevalence of unexploded ordnance, while travelers going to Mauritius should be aware of the country’s high level of Covid-19. Kuwait has a low level of Covid-19, according to the CDC.
Two Caribbean spots that are popular with cruise ships were also handed Level 1 travel advisories as a part of yesterday’s updates. Both Saint Kitts and Nevis and Sint Maarten were designated as Level 1 countries, with the CDC adding that the two countries have a moderate level of Covid-19 at present. 
Namibia and Morocco have also been awarded Level 1 and Level 2 travel advisories, respectively. The two destinations are amongst the hottest places to visit in Africa; few who visit Morocco fail to leave anything other than transfixed by its stunning architecture and the magical blue city, while Namibia’s stunning national parks are amongst the best in the continent. Now, travelers can visit both safely in the knowledge that they are considered amongst the safest destinations by the State Department. Both countries have a low level of Covid-19, but those heading to Morocco should exercise increased caution due to the risk of terrorism.
Only one country was placed in the Level 3 category, which carries a recommendation that travelers should reconsider their travel plans. Travelers should reconsider travel to Mauritania due to crime and terrorism, while some areas have been designated as off-limits by the Mauritanian military. According to the country’s travel advisory page, violent crimes, such as mugging, armed robbery, and assault, are common. The country has a moderate level of Covid-19. 
Fortunately, no countries were placed in Level 4 during the most recent round of updates – a stark contrast to the situation at the height of the pandemic when plenty of destinations were tarred with a Do Not Travel warning on an almost weekly basis. Travelers should always make sure that they read the travel advisory pages of whatever destinations they are planning to visit to ensure that they are aware of potential issues they may encounter and to help them make an informed decision about whether to go through with their travel plans or not. 
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This article originally appeared on Travel Off Path. For the latest breaking news that will affect your next trip, please visit: Traveloffpath.com
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5 leading retailers in home furnishings featured in LinkedIn's retail rankings - Home Textiles Today

Sunnyvale, Calif. — A group of home furnishings retailers made the cut in LinkedIn’s Top Companies 2022: Industry Edition’s retail rankings.
The online networking platform described the feature as a ranking of the 25 companies in nine major U.S. industries that are investing in their talent and helping people build careers that set them up for long-term success. It ranked 25 businesses each in Financial Services, Media & Entertainment, Health Care, Marketing & Advertising, Travel & Hospitality, Retail, Consumer Goods, Real Estate and Technology & Information.
Amazon, which ranks #3 among the Top 50 home textiles retailers in HTT’s upcoming Retail Giants reporTt, topped LinkedIn’s list. Walmart, #1 among the home textiles retailers, came at No. 5 for LinkedIn. Also included in the retail rankings were City Furniture (No. 9, Casper (No. 11) and Mattress Firm (No. 12).
Walmart: ‘There’s a lot of money out there’
Casper ramping up retail partnerships for growth
 
Thomas Lester is Retail Editor for Furniture Today and Digital/Managing Editor for Home Accents Today. A graduate of Emory & Henry College's Mass Communications program, Lester spent a dozen years working for newspapers in Virginia and North Carolina covering an array of subjects, ranging from community news, government, education, ACC sports, professional baseball and more before joining Furniture Today in 2013. Reach out to me with your story ideas, tips and more at tlester@furnituretoday.com.
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Gardening Etcetera: The fantastical chemistry transpiring within colorful autumn leaves - Arizona Daily Sun

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Autumn color can be magnificent as showcased in these red maple, aspen, and cottonwood trees.
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Ahh…autumn! How I relish the season! How I revel in its gentle breezes and azure skies plush with cottony clouds! And above all, how I eagerly await northern Arizona's showcase of fall color!
For me, the harbinger of autumn is my own Virginia creeper’s leafy display of vibrant orange and burgundy in late August. Following that, the locust trees in Timberline switch from bright green to gold.
But it isn’t until September and October that autumn’s true palette shines forth in the High Country. This time of year, I oft give pause to wonder what fantastical chemistry must transpire within these leaves to give such enchanting displays of color.
If you share my curiosity, read on. Keep in mind I am discussing deciduous plants not evergreens. And my use of the word “tree” is usually interchangeable with “shrub” or “plant”.
You are already aware the chemical chlorophyll gives leaves the color green. Through a process called photosynthesis, chlorophyll helps manufacture a sugar, glucose, that feeds the entire plant or tree. It does so by capturing energy from sunlight and taking in carbon dioxide and water. All plants are genuine photosynthesis workshops throughout late spring and summer, fabricating their own food for growth, reproduction, and winter food storage.
Deciduous trees would not be able to survive winter if they retained their leaves. Liquid water is in short supply during cold months, and broad, flat leaves allow too much water to escape through their numerous pores. With the onset of fall’s shorter days and cooler nights, deciduous trees become “aware” winter is in the near future (a small miracle in itself). A tree prepares to drop its leaves by slowing chlorophyll production. The pigment is broken down into its various nutrients and transported out of the leaves to be stored in the trunk, branches, and roots. These nutrients will feed the tree throughout winter and early spring.
Once leaves lose their chlorophyll, pigments that had been in the leaves all along are now able to manifest themselves. And so, begins autumn's magnificent color showcase! Xanthophylls reflect yellow light, giving aspens, ashes, birches, locusts, and some oaks their brilliant golden hues. Carotenes (think carrots) lend sugar maples and other plants, like my sumacs, brilliant orange tones.
Anthocyanin pigments paint with the most vivid colors of all — reds, crimsons, and purples. Scarlet oaks, red sumacs, some aspen, and red maples can be truly breathtaking! Unlike other pigments, however, anthocyanins are not present throughout the life of the leaf. They are manufactured within the leaves in the fall as chlorophyll is broken down, and veins connecting leaves to branches start closing. In the process, some sugars become lodged within the leaves, triggering anthocyanin production.
Eventually, Abscisic Acid hormones stimulate trees to close all the veins connecting the leaves to branches, weakening the attachments. Hence, the leaves drop to the ground.
Now we might ask, “Does weather play a role in the tones and brightness of autumn color?” Yes, it does. Rain-free days in late summer followed by sunny days and cool nights in autumn make for ideal brilliant fall color. Here’s why:
Sunny late-summer days ramp up sugar production, and the more sugar produced, the more becomes trapped in the leaves. Cool fall nights take part by slowing the rate of sugars moving out of the leaves.
But of course, freezing temperatures cause any remaining leaves to freeze and fall off.
Plants have other amazing strategies to survive freezing temperatures. Notably, trees acclimate their cell membranes to allow water and nutrients to migrate out of cells and into intercellular spaces to be transported to branches, the trunk, or most often, the roots.
Additionally, plants may convert their starches to sugars, which we know as sap. Sap serves as an antifreeze in the plant kingdom. When this fantastical chemistry transpires in sugar maples, we humans may use a tad of chemistry of our own to convert the gooey stuff into syrup. Yum!
Cindy Murray is a biologist, co-editor of Gardening Etcetera. and a Coconino Master Gardener with Arizona Cooperative Extension.

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Autumn color can be magnificent as showcased in these red maple, aspen, and cottonwood trees.
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Flame Retardant Chemicals in Electronics - Toxic-Free Future

Toxic-Free Future works to create a healthier tomorrow by fostering the use of safer products, chemicals, and practices through advanced research, advocacy, grassroots organizing, and consumer engagement.
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From phones to TVs, computers, tablets, and game consoles, most people are using multiple electronic devices daily. And for decades, electronics makers have been putting harmful chemicals into the plastic casings of these products in the name of fire safety. Toxic flame retardants, particularly members of a class known as organohalogens, have been associated with serious human health problems including cancer, decreased IQ in children, and effects on thyroid. 
These chemicals become indoor pollutants when they escape the plastic they are mixed into. In homes, adults and children are then exposed to flame retardants through incidental ingestion of dust. Toxic flame retardants also travel in dust through laundry water and out into water bodies.  In workplaces, electronic waste recycling is known to release flame retardants and other chemicals into air and dust, exposing workers. 
The recycling of the plastic from electronics is also a concern. Flame retardants have been found in kitchen utensils as well as children’s toys, vinyl flooring, and other plastic products, likely from recycled e-waste.

That’s why Toxic-Free Future is working to eliminate toxic flame retardant chemicals from electronics and make sure that products are made in a safer, more sustainable way. Because of pressure from consumers like you, some companies are already doing it!
Our original scientific studies finding these chemicals in TVs and streaming TVs have helped make the case for urgent action. 
Toxic-Free Future’s science and research, along with our policy advocacy in Washington, DC, Washington state, other states, and corporate boardrooms, have led to governments and major retailers taking action on organohalogen flame retardant chemicals in electronics.
We are continuing to press retailers and manufacturers to stop selling electronics with organohalogen flame retardants and advancing state policies to ban their use.

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Gym Equipment Is Expensive. Here's How to Find High-Quality Used Gear - CNET

Your guide to a better future
Here's which workout machines you should buy used, and what to pass on at your neighbor's garage sale.
Giselle Castro-Sloboda
Fitness and Nutrition Writer
I'm a Fitness & Nutrition writer for CNET who enjoys reviewing the latest fitness gadgets, testing out activewear and sneakers, as well as debunking wellness myths. On my spare time I enjoy cooking new recipes, going for a scenic run, hitting the weight room, or binge-watching many TV shows at once. I am a former personal trainer and still enjoy learning and brushing up on my training knowledge from time to time. I've had my wellness and lifestyle content published in various online publications such as: Women's Health, Shape, Healthline, Popsugar and more.
Home exercise equipment can easily add up. This is especially true if you're looking to complete your gym with bigger pieces like a treadmill, elliptical, dumbbells or even a squat rack. The good news is that you don't necessarily have to buy all of this equipment brand new. You can save money by purchasing some pieces used and still get a perfectly good product. You can find used exercise equipment online, at secondhand stores or even garage sales in your neighborhood.
But before you impulsively purchase that used treadmill, there are a few things you should know. We spoke to some experts for tips on what to look for when buying used exercise equipment, and which pieces you're better off buying brand new. Keep reading to learn what you need to keep in mind while shopping for used exercise equipment. 
Dumbbells are some pieces that are usually safe to buy used.
There are some pieces of workout equipment that are better to buy used than others. Cooper Mitchell, founder of Garage Gym Reviews, recommends buying items that are built to last a long time and won't break down. "Some pieces of equipment I would go for are dumbbells, kettlebells and weight plates," he says, adding, "These items are basic and they're made out of cast iron, so they're gonna last a long time."
If you're looking at used cardio equipment, Caroline Grainger, an International Sports Sciences Association certified personal trainer suggests going for a stationary bike. "Stationary bikes, especially older ones with fewer electronic components, are virtually indestructible and are definitely worth buying used," she says. So if you're not looking for the latest Peloton bike, this could be a good alternative to have in your home. 
Matt Claes, founder of Weight Loss Made Practical also recommends buying a used rowing machine if you're looking for another option in the cardio machine category. He says, "Rowing machines like the Concept 2 RowErg have a reputation for being really good second-hand purchases due to their durability." If you're uncertain which rowing machine brands to trust, you can use CNET's best rowing machine picks as your shopping guide. 
Make sure to carefully inspect any used workout equipment you intend on buying.
If you're purchasing any of these items, there are a couple of inspections you should make before you get out your wallet. "If you're buying a used barbell, you should make sure that it's not bent or the knurling hasn't been worn down," Mitchell points out. "If it's a weight plate, I would bring a scale and make sure it's accurate," he adds. Often there's a discrepancy because pieces can get chipped off during use, and you want to make sure the used product is still in the best condition possible. 
Although many of these pieces are designed to last, it's not a guarantee that they still hold up equally. "There is a big difference between a barbell that was used to do 250-pound back squats every day for seven years versus a barbell that was used for 40-pound shoulder presses two times a week for three years," explains Claes.
You should be prepared to test the product out and know the basics about the machine. "Research the name of the product, the specific model and year, because it's going to give you good customer reviews to learn about how well this product is going to hold up in the long run, as well as any recalls or other important information to consider," advises Grainger. 
Also, if possible, don't be afraid to ask the previous owner any questions you may have about the product. "Ask why they are selling the machine and how many years they've had it, because if their response is that they simply don't use it, that's good to know before purchasing," says Mitchell. However, if they tell you they broke something on it or it doesn't work properly, that's a good reason to not go through with the purchase.
You can find used workout gear at individual yard or garage sales, or in some second-hand stores. Nowadays, used workout equipment is also often purchased on online platforms like Facebook marketplace. You can even find used equipment on Amazon and eBay. So which is best?
"The real value tends to come from individual sellers on less visible markets like Facebook marketplace or even garage sales," says Grainger. Still, Claes warns that you should be selective about what exercise products you purchase online. "Depending on the reputation and return policies of the websites, you could consider purchasing relatively budget-friendly used exercise equipment online," he says, adding," But for pricier equipment and websites or sellers you don't know the history of, you likely want to have an in-person look before making any decisions."
A benefit to purchasing used equipment from an individual seller is that there's room to negotiate the price. "You can always lowball and see what they come back with, because you can always raise the negotiation price after if needed," says Mitchell. Another haggling trick he suggests is to be very specific in your pricing. "It sounds a little bizarre, but if you say you'll pay $207 versus $200 for example, the other party will think you're well researched and really know what you're talking about."
If you're not finding what you're looking for on Facebook marketplace, you can also check out retailers like Play-It-Again Sports, a second-hand sporting goods store that can be found in some cities and is known to carry fitness equipment. 
Equipment like treadmills are better to buy new than used.
There are some pieces of equipment that you should be extra-cautious about buying second-hand. This can be because of safety precautions or machine longevity. "Treadmills are hard to buy used because the motors break down, they're expensive and they're heavy so they're hard to transport," says Mitchell. Another piece of equipment he advises buying brand-new are cable machines. "Cable machines get used and abused and not taken care of well in most garages," he warns. 
Claes agrees and says most electronic cardio machines should be purchased new. "The reason for this is that these machines tend to have a limited lifetime and if someone else used the machine for a few years, a treadmill may sound inexpensive, but it may not have that many years left." Not to mention, the warranties of used machines can be tricky since some brands allow the warranty to be transferable and others do not. 
Most importantly, make sure you do your research on the used equipment you're looking to buy. Claes recommends visiting at least one garage sale before committing to buying used exercise equipment from a store. By taking your time to properly research the product, you'll learn the average price and quality, which will help determine whether or not you're getting a good deal.
"For example, barbells aren't that much cheaper when you buy them used," says Mitchell. So in this case, you may fare better off buying the product from a website such as Rogue Fitness, REP Fitness or Titan Fitness. If you're looking for new cardio equipment, you'll want to consider sites like NordicTrack, Bowflex or even Peloton. These brands have a reputation for making fitness equipment that lasts.
Claes advises that you make sure you are investing in at least a decent piece of exercise equipment. "In the short term, the low price may seem attractive," he says. "However, if you need to buy new equipment every few months, the used exercise equipment options may turn out to be not that budget-friendly."
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

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Morgan Stanley Bolsters Tools for Retirement Plan Advisors - Financial Advisor IQ

The Corporate Retirement Portal eliminates the need for advisors to log in to multiple recordkeeping systems to piece together a picture of their retirement plan client base.
September 9, 2022
Morgan Stanley on Wednesday announced a new platform that it says will streamline advisors’ management of workplace retirement plans.
The new Corporate Retirement Portal within the firm’s Morgan Stanley at Work unit will replace third-party tools advisors previously used to manage retirement accounts. The system, which was built in-house, lets advisors see information about the plans they advise without having to hop from recordkeeper to recordkeeper to piece together a full picture, the firm says.
“Implementing our Corporate Retirement Portal on the Plan Advisor’s desktop will help further drive efficiencies, help recordkeepers scale their business and enhance the plan sponsor and participant experience on our retirement platform,” Anthony Bunnell, head of retirement for Morgan Stanley at Work, said in a statement announcing the new system.
By pulling information previously stored in separate programs into one place, communication between advisors and plan sponsors will be simpler and more efficient, the firm said. The portal also complies with recent U.S. Department of Labor cybersecurity guidelines regarding data encryption and secure data transfer, the firm adds.
Morgan Stanley has touted workplace plans as a major source of overall growth. During a February 2021 presentation at the Credit Suisse Financial Services Forum, Morgan Stanley’s current executive vice president and chief operating officer, Jonathan Pruzan, estimated that 50% of workplan participants open companion brokerage accounts at the firm. He added that the firm expected that share to increase to 90% within the ensuing 18 to 20 months.
The Corporate Retirement Portal’s implementation closely follows another enhancement of the Morgan Stanley at Work platform: the firm’s June acquisition of deferred compensation plan provider American Financial Systems. In an announcement accompanying the acquisition, Jed Finn, head of corporate and institutional solutions and chief operating officer of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, called workplace plans “a key story to watch over the next five years in the wealth management industry.” Finn termed the workplace market “the single most important source of wealth creation.”

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Meet Iowa auditor candidates running in midterm elections 2022 - Des Moines Register

Two candidates are competing to represent Iowa as state auditor, acting as the taxpayer's watchdog by providing audits of the financial operations of Iowa's state and local governments.
Incumbent Democrat Rob Sand is running against Republican Todd Halbur, a small business owner and licensed Realtor.
To help voters, the Des Moines Register sent questions to all federal, statewide and Des Moines area legislative candidates running for political office this year. Their answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
More:A guide to voter rights in Iowa. What you need to know before you cast a ballot
Early voting begins Oct. 19 for the Nov. 8 election.
Age: 55
Party: Republican
Where did you grow up? Carroll
Current town of residence: Clive
Education: Bachelor's degree in business, University of Iowa
Occupation: Small business owner of a school supply distribution company and licensed Realtor
Political experience and civic activities: From 2008-13 my wife and I founded and operated a nonprofit, Teacher Tools 4 Tomorrow, that provided teachers in lower-income schools throughout Iowa with classroom supplies. Several volunteer hours at school activities, school sports and church activities.
More:Where Brenna Bird & Tom Miller stand on key issues in Iowa attorney general race
Age: 40
Party: Democrat
Where did you grow up? Decorah
Current town of residence: Des Moines
Education: Decorah High School, Brown University, University of Iowa Law School
Occupation: State auditor
Political experience and civic activities: Iowa Auditor since January 2019
Halbur: Our government does not have any money. It just has all our money that it collects and spends. The primary role of the auditor’s office is to make sure our government is accountable to the taxpayers of Iowa. Our government needs to be accountable to taxpayers on what it collects and spends according to the code of law. I believe Iowa needs an auditor with the financial background and qualifications that I have as a prior banker and CFO of a State of Iowa Agency.
Sand: The state auditor is the taxpayer’s watchdog. I ran in 2018 to “wake up the watchdog," and we’ve done that. In my first term, we identified more than $25 million in misspent funds, a record. We created a government efficiency program, Public Innovations & Efficiencies (PIE), that saves so much taxpayer money the state of Mississippi copied it already. In my second term, I would continue and expand our aggressive approach, find ways to make bank accounts with public dollars more readily visible and continue advocating for no more mere probation for those who steal tax dollars.
More:What Iowa ag secretary candidates Mike Naig & John Norwood say about eminent domain, ethanol
Halbur: I would work closely with the Legislature and governor’s office to ensure that the laws they pass and put into code are enforced according to the rule of law. I would ensure our government is fiscally responsible with our tax dollars according to the state and federal laws, rules and regulations.
Sand: I’ve called new legislators from both parties after their election wins to make sure they have my contact information and have reached out to the governor’s office on numerous occasions. We will continue to follow our office’s standard procedures for advance notice before reports are issued. I will continue to recommend ideas to the Legislature to save and protect tax dollars. But I will always put my job duty of investigating and informing the public of waste, fraud and abuse ahead of those relationships, because I’m here to serve the public, not the insiders.
More:See where Iowa candidates stand on key issues in the 2022 midterm elections
Halbur: 1. Save taxpayer money by eliminating fraud, waste and abuse.
2. Cities with a population of less than 2,000 people and budgets under $1 million dollars for example are only audited every eight years. We need to increase these exams to every 2 years at least to ensure better government accountability to all taxpayers of Iowa in our small cities.
3. Make and save money for the taxpayers by streamlining and creating efficiencies in government. For example, the state of Iowa needs to get out of the taxpayer-funded monopoly booze business. The state of Iowa liquor wholesale business needs to be put into the hands of private distributors like all the private beer wholesalers in Iowa.
Sand: I hold Transparency Tuesdays at 7:45 p.m. Tuesdays on Facebook Live where people can ask questions of me. We will continue to demand transparency from state government as well. For example, we took the University of Iowa to the Supreme Court and won, to force it to turn over documents. What I will never do is violate our office’s legal confidentiality requirements or cave under the weight of political requests or even lawsuits trying to chip away, in any way, at our obligation to protect whistleblowers. I have rejected such requests from both Republican and Democratic entities.
More:Where are the fiercest races for the Iowa Legislature? Most lie in the Des Moines suburbs
Halbur: I have already been a taxpayer watchdog for all Iowans. I uncovered illegal business activity at the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division while being their CFO. Over the last 10-plus years the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division has collected from Iowans more than $50 million dollars in illegal excess profits from what is allowed by state law. My priority to protect Iowa taxpayers from this continued illegal business activity would be to have a full third-party independent special investigation audit of the agency.
Sand: 1. Continue our aggressive approach to identify misspent funds. I hired law enforcement officers and have brought my background as Iowa’s main public corruption prosecutor to our work. A northeast Iowa Republican told me he’s never seen bureaucrats more nervous about what the state auditor thinks. Good.
2. Grow the PIE program. This efficiency program saw a 55% increase in participation. I want to continue to collect and spread ideas from Iowans that save taxpayer dollars.
3. Focus on truth, not partisanship, by continuing to defend the opposite party and criticize my own when appropriate, including outside my job duties.
More:What Iowa secretary of state candidates Paul Pate & Joel Miller say about voting, elections
Halbur: The office is called the taxpayer watchdog, but I want to be a voice for all taxpayers, not just a watchdog for a certain political office. I don’t view it as a political office. I see it as a place of destination for a qualified financial candidate to do the auditing job who has a financial agenda, not a political agenda. As a political outsider, I will be a fresh voice with common sense ideas for 21st-century finance and a fighter for all Iowa taxpayers.
Sand: I appointed a Republican, an independent and a Democrat to my senior leadership team. I’ve repeatedly promoted people in the office who made campaign contributions to my opponent in 2018, while this year informing staff they are not allowed to contribute to me. Our obligation is to truth, integrity and accountability. As a result, we have criticized the governor, but we’ve also defended her — like our audit of COVID-19 data. This balance assures Iowans we work for them, no matter who they are and no matter who they complain about.

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