A recent New York Times piece, “The Pride and Prejudice of ‘Local,’” got me thinking about my own locavorism—or as it is increasingly being called, localism, because the “local” movement is going beyond just local food. If I ever come across to people who know me like some of the people in this piece come across, I’d be embarrassed. I don’t believe I come across like this in my writing, but if I do, I’m sure my readers will let me know. Portland restaurant owner Eric Bechard recently got into a fistfight over pigs he believed weren’t local enough. He had entered a culinary contest in Oregon that was advertised as local, and became “sickened” when two entrants used pigs from Kansas and Iowa. Fueled by alcohol (I certainly hope it was local alcohol), he was the aggressor in a fight with the contest’s organizer. A couple of police Tasers and cans of pepper spray later, the fight ended. Bechard believes “the pig fight has created a teachable moment for how to live locally.” I have to wonder what the lesson is? (Or at least what he thinks the lesson is.) I don’t see anything but poor sportsmanship (he didn’t win the culinary contest) and hypocrisy being taught here (the restaurant he runs doesn’t source everything local—although someday he eventually hopes it will). Then there is Portland’s Paul Sykes who has stopped patronizing a coffee shop that began locally in Portland but has expanded to other states. Sykes doesn’t go there any more because they aren’t “local” enough for him. Yet, he sells the products he makes out of wood “all over the world” because “it’s the only way I can make any money.” Do you see the problem here? It’s a snobby elitism that says, “I don’t have to be totally local, but darn it, the places I patronize better be totally local or they aren’t good enough for me.” Bechard isn’t 100 percent local at his restaurant, but he expects a contest he enters to be. Sykes needs a global market to stay in business but is unforgiving when another business does the same. I haven’t met anyone in the South Jersey local scene with this type of attitude. I’m hoping this isn’t the prevailing attitude in Portland, either, and that the two men The New York Times found are the exception, not the up-and-coming rule for people everywhere who value local. The New York Times also interviewed Erik Gage, the lead singer for the Portland-based band White Fang. Their song “Portland Sucks” pokes fun of this attitude that some of Portlanders have. I agree whole-heartedly with Gage when he says, “I think one of the most important things about localism is getting along with the locals.” Being an elitist snob about anything isn’t going to win converts in any community. No one will want to be around you to hear what you believe. They’ll only see your behavior, and the behavior of people like Bechard or Sykes won’t win anyone over to being more supportive of all things local. Robin Shreeves blogs for MNN about finding eco-friendly food options. Related Articles on Mother Nature Network: The benefits of buying local See our archive of stories on this topic Photo courtesy of ‘Portland Buy Local’ via MNN
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The states with the highest rates of uninsured drivers and what it costs everyone else
Coverage gaps leave insured drivers and taxpayers footing the bill.
Jeff Temple
Nearly every state requires drivers to carry auto liability insurance, yet millions of motorists are still on the road without it.
In 2023, 15.4% of U.S. drivers were uninsured, according to the Insurance Research Council, meaning more than 1 in 7 motorists lacked coverage that could pay for injuries or damage they caused in a crash. The rate has increased since 2017 and remains elevated after a pandemic-era jump that affected nearly every state.
The burden is not limited to those driving without coverage. When an uninsured driver causes a crash, costs can shift to injured people, insured drivers, insurers, public systems, and households already dealing with higher auto insurance prices.
Temple Injury Law, a Las Vegas personal injury law firm, examined national insurance and crash-cost data to understand where uninsured driving is most common and how those costs ripple beyond the crash scene.
Mississippi, New Mexico, and D.C. had the highest uninsured-driver rates
The highest uninsured-driver rate in 2023 was in Mississippi, where 28.2% of motorists were uninsured, according to the IRC. New Mexico followed at 24.1%, and the District of Columbia ranked third at 23.1%. At the other end of the spectrum, the lowest rates were in Maine at 5.7%, Utah at 6.2%, and Idaho at 6.4%.
Those gaps show how differently the uninsured-driver problem plays out across the country. In Mississippi, the share of uninsured motorists was nearly five times Maine’s rate. Nationally, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners notes that uninsured-motorist rates range from 5.7% in Maine to 28.2% in Mississippi, despite near-universal legal requirements to carry coverage.
The Insurance Research Council says several factors are associated with state-to-state differences, including economic conditions, insurance costs, and state insurance laws and regulations. That makes uninsured driving both a compliance issue and an affordability issue: A state can require insurance, but that does not guarantee every driver can afford or maintain it.
Most states require insurance, but enforcement varies
Auto liability insurance is compulsory in 49 states and the District of Columbia. New Hampshire is the only state without a compulsory auto insurance law, though drivers there must meet financial responsibility requirements in certain circumstances.
Liability coverage is meant to protect other people when a driver causes a crash. But minimum coverage requirements vary by state, and so do enforcement systems. Some states use electronic insurance verification programs, registration checks, fines, license suspensions, or other tools to discourage uninsured driving. Others rely more heavily on proof-of-insurance checks after traffic stops or crashes.
The result is a system in which uninsured driving can remain undetected until a collision occurs. By then, the financial problem has already moved from a compliance question to a question of who pays.
The cost often shifts to insured drivers
The NAIC describes uninsured motorists as a cost burden on drivers who comply with compulsory insurance laws. When uninsured drivers cause crashes, some of those costs are integrated into uninsured-motorist coverage purchased by insured drivers, which can help pay for injuries or vehicle damage caused by someone without insurance.
That does not mean uninsured drivers are the only reason premiums rise. Auto insurance prices are affected by many factors, including accident rates, traffic density, vehicle theft, repair costs, medical and legal costs, population density, weather, and state liability requirements, according to the NAIC’s 2023 Auto Insurance Database report.
Still, uninsured driving adds another layer of risk to an already expensive system. The NAIC reported that the countrywide average auto insurance expenditure was $1,281 in 2023, up 13.98% from the previous year. The countrywide combined average premium rose 14.41% to $1,438.
For households living close to the edge, those increases can matter. In its 2023 household well-being survey, the Federal Reserve found that not all adults could cover an unexpected $400 emergency expense with cash or its equivalent, underscoring how a relatively small financial shock can force trade-offs for some families.
Crash costs reach far beyond insurance claims
The financial consequences of uninsured driving sit inside a much larger crash-cost system. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics estimated that motor vehicle crashes in 2019 incurred $340 billion in economic costs, including medical care, lost productivity, legal and court costs, emergency services, insurance administration, congestion, property damage, and workplace losses. Public revenues covered roughly 9% of all motor vehicle crash costs in 2019, amounting to about $30 billion, or $230 in added taxes for every U.S. household.
Those figures are not limited to crashes involving uninsured drivers. But they help explain why insurance gaps matter: When the person responsible for a crash lacks coverage, the costs do not disappear. They are absorbed elsewhere. It can be through another driver’s insurance, out-of-pocket expenses, health coverage, legal systems, public services, or uncompensated losses.
Underinsurance is growing, too
Uninsured driving is only part of the problem. In 2023, 18% of U.S. drivers were underinsured, meaning they had liability insurance but not enough to cover the injury costs caused by a crash, according to the Insurance Research Council. Combined, IRC found that about 1 in 3 drivers was either uninsured or underinsured.
That distinction matters for crash victims and insured motorists. A driver may technically comply with state insurance requirements and still carry limits too low to cover serious injuries, medical bills, lost income, or long-term care. IRC noted that rising underinsured-motorist rates are driven by upward pressure on the severity of bodily-injury claims.
For drivers, the practical risk is similar: Even when another motorist has some insurance, the available coverage may fall short of the crash’s actual cost.
What the numbers show now
The latest public data points to a persistent national problem: Uninsured driving remains common, the highest-rate states have uninsured-driver shares above 20%, and underinsurance is rising alongside it.
For insured drivers, the issue is not only whether another motorist is following the law. It is whether the financial safety net that is supposed to follow every vehicle on the road is strong enough when a crash happens. In states with the highest uninsured-driver rates, that safety net is missing for roughly one-quarter of motorists.
This story was produced by Temple Injury Law and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
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South Korea creates a website allows you pretend to order take-out to get the dopamine rush without spending a dime
Click “Buy” without purchasing anything.
Have you ever done “retail therapy”? You feel stressed and overwhelmed so you decide to shop for some clothes or order food from an app? Sure, it can help you feel better in the moment, but not if you’re trying to save money. But what if you could get the same feeling of anticipation and the feel-good experience of shopping without spending anything? South Korea cooked up a solution.
One of the latest trends that started in South Korea and is turning global are what are being called “dopamine sites.” These websites and apps provide realistic-looking digital storefronts that allow a person to add items to their cart, a fake credit card to fill out orders, and even simulate delivery trackers. The store, items, and everything about the transaction is fake but your brain gets that dopamine hit anyway.
One example of this is FoodNeverComes, a fake delivery app in the vein of DoorDash and UberEats. The app is full of different eye-catching pictures of food to “order” like in those apps, allowing you to pick and choose. Users have said this app allows them to satisfy late-night cravings and get that feel-good buzz of ordering takeout without actually buying anything. If a person really does want a dish that’s on the app, FoodNeverComes provides a recipe so users can make it at home if they really want it.
Abandoning the cart, feeling good anyway
So why are people feeling the emotional payoff of making a purchase without actually buying anything? The psychology behind it is similar to the feeling some people get when they visit a website, add a bunch of items into the cart, and then abandon it. Psychologists found that anticipation of receiving an item is what triggers a better mood rather than actually having it in hand.
Psychologist Dr. Deborah Ko explains in a video that this is due to what she called the endowment effect. She explains that putting items in a digital cart allows a person to feel like they “have” those items. Once you “have” those items it makes your brain already feel like you own it.
“It was the act of shopping that was the reward, not the product itself,” she says.
These dopamine sites and apps simulate all of that and allow the brain to get that hit but eliminate the temptation and consequences of hitting the “buy” button.
Are these dopamine sites good?
Many psychologists are mixed as to whether these dopamine sites are beneficial. On one hand, it could help a person who regularly impulse buys food or products they cannot afford while also satisfying that urge. It could also help people adopt better habits while still keeping certain rituals.
For example, let’s say a person who typically orders pizza every Friday but wants to eat better or save money by removing that weekend-starting ritual. They could possibly benefit from “ordering” pizza through these fake food delivery apps. It will allow them to go through the motions and get that dopamine hit while they hit their fitness or financial goals.
On the other hand, some argue using these dopamine sites won’t address certain harmful compulsive behaviors. They say that these apps and sites could just act as placebos and substitutes rather than truly address troubling issues.
Whether an app or something like these dopamine sites can help or not, it is still important to learn, know, and discern how to best use the money you do have in real life.
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11-year-old Kentuckian rescues man drowning in apartment complex pool
The boy’s quick actions saved a life.
An 11-year-old boy in Kentucky is being praised for rescuing a man from drowning in a pool at an apartment complex.
Avory Woolery spotted the man at the bottom of the pool. The man appeared distressed and that’s when Woolery dove into action.
“There was this man in the pool, like unconscious underwater, almost shaking, maybe, and my adrenaline kicked in,” Woolery told WKYT-TV. “I went underwater, I grabbed him up, his friend, I believe, put him on the floor and started doing CPR on him to try and save him the best he could, until somebody called 9-1-1.”
‘He’s a human being’
When asked why he took initiative, Woolery said that he dove in to get the man because no one else appeared to notice the drowning man’s plight.
“No one was doing anything, so I put on my goggles. I went underwater,” Avory said. “I grabbed him up and I just felt really bad because there was no way that I was going to let another man die today. He’s a human being. He should be treated as such.”
As Woolery noted, another person performed CPR on the man until paramedics arrived. The Lexington Fire Department said the man was taken to a local hospital and is still in serious condition. While still hospitalized, worse could’ve occurred if young Avory didn’t intervene.
Fatherly pride
Sean Woolery, Avory’s father, was proud of how his son was able to calmly and quickly react to the situation.
“I’m proud of him. Somebody, when I was walking up here, somebody said, ‘Thank you, you taught him how to swim,’” he said.
A life was saved thanks to young Avory being able to notice signs of drowning and staying calm under pressure during a dangerous situation.
How to spot a drowning victim
While many public pools and beaches have lifeguards, it’s still important to recognize the signs someone is drowning so you can get them the proper help. After all, that’s what Avory did.
But the signs of someone drowning don’t necessarily match the ones that are seen on television or film. Many drowning victims are unable to yell for help, loudly splash, or grab attention since water is gathering into their lungs.
The Red Cross offers some more accurate signs of someone drowning along with tips to help them. A distressed swimmer/drowning victim will look like they’re having trouble making forward progress in the water. They’ll likely appear vertical and unable to tread water. They may look like they’re struggling to keep their mouth and nose above water. They could also appear motionless and face down in the water.
What to do if you see someone drowning
Should you see these signs, yell at the person to see if they can respond. Alert the lifeguards (if present) and have someone call 911 immediately. If there is no lifeguard, it’s recommended to get the person out of the water the safest way possible without going in. This means offering flotation devices like life jackets or buoys for the drowning person to grab.
There’s a reason why it’s usually not recommended to swim to rescue a drowning person. It’s because if they are conscious, the drowning person could instinctually grab at you. They could accidentally pull you down underwater with them. While Avory did swim to save that man, the victim was unconscious. It was an extreme situation in which trained professionals weren’t present.
If swimming is the only option, it’s recommended to swim to the victim with a flotation device in hand for them to grab onto without touching them. This can allow you both to stay afloat with less struggle. That said, it is always best to wait for water safety professionals to act first if at all possible. The Red Cross has some other water safety tips to follow that could save lives and prevent common drowning incidents.
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The states with the highest rates of uninsured drivers and what it costs everyone else
South Korea creates a website allows you pretend to order take-out to get the dopamine rush without spending a dime
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