Humanity Unplugged

Preparing your mindset for the New Year involves reflecting on the past year, setting achievable goals, decluttering both your physical and digital spaces, focusing on gratitude and self-care, and taking small, actionable steps for meaningful change—all while allowing yourself to rest so you can start the year feeling refreshed and purposeful. Reflect & ReleaseJournal: Write down highlights, challenges, and lessons from the past year to gain clarity and release burdens, says Embracing You Therapy.Acknowledge Wins: Celebrate successes, big or small, to build momentum, according to this Medium article. Declutter & OrganizePhysical Space: Clean out a drawer, closet, or even your digital files to create mental space.Digital Space: Delete apps or unsubscribe from emails to reduce digital noise. Set Intentions & GoalsBe Realistic: Instead of huge resolutions, set smaller, achievable goals (e.g., exercise 3x a week, not "get fit").Create Vision: Use vision boards or lists to visualize what you want to create or do.Brain Dump: Get all your thoughts and ideas out of your head and onto paper. 

Mental health is a significant concern in the U.S., with about 23% of adults and 20% of adolescents living with a mental health condition. Common conditions include major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders, while about 6% of adults experience a serious mental illness. Factors like access to care, the workforce, and technology play a role in mental health outcomes. Prevalence and statisticsAdults: Approximately 23% of U.S. adults have a mental health condition.Serious mental illness: Around 6% of adults experience a serious mental illness that significantly interferes with their daily lives.Adolescents: About 20% of adolescents aged 12-17 have a diagnosed mental or behavioral health condition.Common conditions: Major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders (such as panic disorder, PTSD, and GAD), and ADHD are among the most common. Contributing factorsAccess to care: Factors like health insurance coverage and the availability of the behavioral health workforce significantly influence access to services.Technology can provide access to information and connection, but it also poses challenges to mental well-being, a subject of ongoing discussion.Substance use: Substance use disorders (SUDs) are also prevalent, with 17.3% of people aged 12 or older affected in the past year.Socioeconomic and demographic factors: The prevalence of mental illness can vary by factors like age, gender, and race. For example, young adults aged 18-25 have the highest prevalence of SUDs. 

The Trump administration earlier this week carried out the 20th attack on alleged narco-terrorists in the Caribbean Sea, a Pentagon official confirmed to NBC News.According to the official, four people were killed in the attack on November 10, bringing the total number of fatalities from these strikes to 79. NBC News has not independently confirmed the strikes.Over the past few weeks, the Trump administration has steadily announced kinetic strikes against vessels it believes are transporting members of the Tren de Aragua gang and drug smugglers. In late October, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered an aircraft carrier strike group to maneuver into the U.S. Southern Command’s area of responsibility to bolster these attacks.

Children go missing in the United States due to a variety of reasons, including running away, family abductions, and stranger abductions, though the vast majority of missing children are runaways. Other causes include being lost or injured, or falling victim to online enticement leading to trafficking or other exploitation. Common reasons children go missingRunning away: The majority of missing children are teens who have run away from home. This is often listed as an "endangered runaway" because these children are at high risk of exploitation and trafficking.Family abduction: This is the most common type of abduction and is typically committed by a parent, often during a custody dispute.Stranger abduction: Kidnappings by strangers are rare, but they do occur.Lost, stranded, or injured: A child can become missing after becoming lost, getting stranded, or having an accident.Online enticement: The internet and social media are increasingly being used by predators to entice children into dangerous situations, including sex trafficking. The number of online enticement reports has increased significantly.Exploitation: Missing children are at high risk of exploitation, abuse, and trafficking, especially those who are runaways. Other factorsDigital predators: An increase in online enticement through social media, messaging apps, and gaming platforms has increased the risk for children.Disproportionate vulnerability: Certain groups, such as Native and Indigenous youth, are disproportionately vulnerable to trafficking, notes the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the Not Invisible Act Commission.Children with disabilities: Children with autism may wander off due to their interest in certain places or their efforts to escape overwhelming stimuli. 

Children run away from home in the United States primarily due to abuse, neglect, and severe family conflict, often fueled by issues like domestic violence, substance abuse, and divorce. Other common reasons include being kicked out, mental health struggles, and problems at school or with peers. Significant reasons for running awayAbuse and neglect: Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse and neglect are significant drivers for children running away.Family crisis: Issues like domestic violence, substance abuse within the family, parental divorce, or the death of a family member can make the home feel unsafe.Family conflict: General conflicts and high stress in the home are prevalent reasons, with a large percentage of runaways reporting conflicts with parents or guardians.Being kicked out: Some children are forced to leave their homes by parents or guardians.Mental health and identity: Struggling with mental health, being rejected for their sexual orientation, or dealing with other social pressures are also risk factors.School and peer issues: Problems at school, such as failing or being bullied, and peer pressure, can lead a child to leave home. 

Children run away from home in the United States primarily due to abuse, neglect, and severe family conflict, often fueled by issues like domestic violence, substance abuse, and divorce. Other common reasons include being kicked out, mental health struggles, and problems at school or with peers. Significant reasons for running awayAbuse and neglect: Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse and neglect are significant drivers for children running away.Family crisis: Issues like domestic violence, substance abuse within the family, parental divorce, or the death of a family member can make the home feel unsafe.Family conflict: General conflicts and high stress in the home are prevalent reasons, with a large percentage of runaways reporting conflicts with parents or guardians.Being kicked out: Some children are forced to leave their homes by parents or guardians.Mental health and identity: Struggling with mental health, being rejected for their sexual orientation, or dealing with other social pressures are also risk factors.School and peer issues: Problems at school, such as failing or being bullied, and peer pressure, can lead a child to leave home. Other contributing factorsSubstance abuse within the family.Financial worries in the household.Stress and anxiety from their living situation.A new baby in the family can disrupt the family dynamic. 

Appreciating what you have through a deep-seated attitude of gratitude and by publicly expressing thanks is what it means to be grateful. While thankfulness is the act of expressing gratitude for something particular, usually a kindness from another person, being grateful is an attitude that focuses on appreciating the good in life, even in trying circumstances. Saying "thank you" for a particular gift or favor is one way to express gratitude, as is thinking about what you already have.  God is good....

Venezuela says it is launching a “massive mobilization” of military personnel, weapons, and equipment in response to the build-up of US warships and troops in the Caribbean Sea.President Trump signs a funding bill to end the longest government shutdown in history, Trump faces renewed scrutiny for his past relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, and health officials sound the alarm over a severe strain of flu as cases surge abroad.

FOX Business's Cheryl Casone joined 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss President Donald Trump's offer to air traffic controllers and the chaos with air travel amid the record-breaking shutdown. Fox News' Mark Meredith also reports the latest from the White House. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has become the target of progressive anger after moderate Democrats struck a deal to reopen the government, raising questions about his future atop the conference even as he distances himself from the agreement.When Hurricane Melissa devastated parts of Jamaica, thousands were left without power for days — a reminder that reliable backup energy can mean the difference between safety and chaos. Where Hurricane Melissa hit hardest, the towns of Black River and New Hope in Jamaica, the destruction is total.Homes leveled. A hospital in ruins. Families living beneath half-collapsed roofs. Across the island, people are surviving on whatever the land and sea still offer. With outside help slow to arrive, Jamaicans are doing what they’ve always done, relying on each other. This is the reality behind the headlines: the human cost, the courage, and the fight to survive in the aftermath of one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes in history.

Hurricane Melissa has caused an estimated $6 billion to $7 billion in damages in Jamaica and between $48 billion and $52 billion across the Caribbean. These figures represent a significant hit to Jamaica's economy, equivalent to roughly 30% of its GDP. JamaicaTotal damage: Preliminary estimates place the total damage cost between $6 billion and $7 billion, or about 30% of the nation's GDP, according to the BBC News.Insured losses: Insured losses in Jamaica are estimated to be between $2.2 billion and $4.2 billion.Economic impact: The storm is expected to cause an 8% to 13% decline in the country's GDP as a result of the devastation. Caribbean RegionTotal damage: The total estimated damages across the entire Caribbean are between $48 billion and $52 billion.Economic factors: This figure encompasses both physical destruction and long-term financial losses, including those incurred by the tourism sector. Other factorsInsurance payouts: The Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) announced a payout of $70.8 million to the government of Jamaica, the largest in its history.Aid: The United States has pledged at least $11 million in support for relief efforts. 

On November 1, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food assistance to approximately 42 million Americans, will run out of funding due to the ongoing government shutdown, resulting in the suspension of the federal food aid program until further notice. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) will also end Nov. 1. Governors and attorneys general from 25 states filed a lawsuit seeking to compel the Trump administration to use emergency funds to support SNAP. It argues that the USDA is failing to utilize the available emergency funds and is "unlawfully" suspending SNAP benefits, despite contingency funds that Congress has appropriated for emergencies like this being available. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stated that she does not have the legal authority to keep federal food assistance programs funded during the shutdown, as it would cost approximately $9.2 billion to fund SNAP in November.

Brace yourselves, workers. Your health insurance at the job could cost you a lot more in 2026. Although overall inflation is more muted than a few years ago, employers are preparing for the steepest increase in health benefit costs in 15 years, according to Mercer’s National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans.

Hurricane Melissa's Rapid Intensification Continues - Likely a Category-5 Before Landfall in Jamaica. There are new concerns that Amazon, the second-largest private employer in the country, may be planning one of the most significant workplace transformations in modern history. New details reveal how Jashanpreet Singh obtained his commercial driver's license through both state and federal processes in place at the time.President Donald Trump's reaction to Russia's alleged nuclear-powered cruise missile test, China's role in securing peace in Ukraine, and more.Andrew Cuomo, Zohran Mamdani, and Curtis Sliwa faced off in the final New York City mayoral debate on Wednesday. Political analyst Hank Sheinkopf joins CBS News with his take on the potential outcomes of the race.

NBA legend and current Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncy Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier are in FBI custody following a gambling probe. Rozier was in uniform as the Heat faced the Magic in Orlando on Wednesday evening, though he did not play. The league has investigated Rozier previously and is still looking into the actions of former Detroit player Malik Beasley. The exact chargers Billups and Rozier face have not been released. The arrests stem from two major fraud-related cases: one involving sports betting, and the other linked to “rigged poker games tied to the mafia.Mornings with Maria' to address the economic impact of the ongoing government shutdown ahead of another vote and shares his prediction on when the government will re-open.

Millions of people rally against President Trump in No Kings marches nationwide, the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is still in place after Israeli forces bombed Gaza and authorities in Paris search for the Louvre Museum heist suspects.As President Donald Trump arrived at his military parade in Washington, DC, this June to a 21-gun salute and members of the crowd singing “Happy Birthday,” about 5 million people across the country took to the streets to protest his administration. Now, amid an ongoing government shutdown and Trump’s push to deploy National Guard troops to American cities, millions are gearing up for round two. More than 2,500 demonstrations – about 450 more than were planned in June – across all 50 states are slated for Saturday in the second round of “No Kings” protests, which aim to broadly reject what organizers describe as Trump’s “authoritarian” agenda.