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R obinette Reporter
www.RobinetteLaw.com Call 24/7: 304-594-1800 Advertising Material Jan./Feb. 2024
As 2024 fully kicks off, many legal changes are on the horizon, impacting various sectors such as education, health care, and employment. While some are final, others are still in the proposal stage. Either way, being informed about these changes can help individuals and businesses prepare adequately for the coming year, so let’s look at these impending changes to understand what to expect. Social Security: COLA Social Security will soon undergo notable changes, with the primary one being a 3.2% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) that began on Dec. 29, 2023. This increase is based on the rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W) from the third quarter of 2022 to the third quarter of 2023. The increase affects more than 71 million Americans receiving Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments, granting them more money every month. Education: FAFSA Simplification Act One of the significant changes coming in 2024 involves the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The Simplification Act aims to make the application process more straightforward for students. Notably, the Act removes the half- time enrollment requirement, potentially expanding the pool of eligible applicants for financial aid. This move will likely benefit part-time students, who often juggle other responsibilities like work and family and may have found it challenging to meet the half‑time enrollment requirement. Health Care: Telemedicine Regulations Telemedicine gained traction during the pandemic, and the legal landscape is adapting to the use of this important tool. The WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: FROM SOCIAL SECURITY TO TAXES Big Legal Changes Coming in 2024
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have extended telemedicine flexibilities through 2024. They are working on a final set of telemedicine regulations to be released by fall 2024. This effort likely aims to strike a balance between medical accessibility and regulatory oversight. Public Welfare: Child Care and Learning The president’s budget for fiscal year 2024 expands access to affordable, high-quality early child care and learning. The move targets American families who often struggle to find cost-effective and reliable child care services. This expansion could be a game- changer for working parents, although details about how this will be implemented have yet to be clarified. Employment: OSHA Changes The Department of Labor announced a rule that expands submission requirements for injury and illness data provided by employers in high-hazard industries. This rule aims to improve workplace safety by holding companies more accountable for accidents and illnesses that occur in the workplace. Taxation: IRS Compliance Efforts Lastly, the IRS has announced a sweeping effort to restore fairness in the tax system by planning to contact about 1,600 millionaires
who owe hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid taxes. This move is an extension of an ongoing effort to increase tax compliance and ensure all citizens contribute their fair share to the public coffer.
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-Jeff Robinette
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When we think of technological innovations, we may focus on things like smartphones and self-driving cars. But in today’s fast-paced and ever-advancing world, our homes are experiencing smart revolutions of their own. The Future of Home Living: Discover the Must-Have Smart Devices for Your Space
Smart home devices are easy to operate and make our lives easier. So, if you’re looking to make a digital upgrade to your home, here are three devices we recommend you check out.
Voice-Activated Assistants Voice assistants, like Amazon’s Alexa, Google Home’s “Hey Google,” and Apple Homepod’s Siri, can be incredibly helpful around the house. With just a simple verbal command, they can set daily reminders for specific tasks, appointments, or medications; place outbound calls for emergencies; and even provide basic first-aid instructions when asked. Robot Vacuums On average, Americans spend six hours a week vacuuming their homes. While this task may seem simple, it can be quite physically demanding. Robot vacuums clean even the toughest spots (like under the couch!) all on their own, then return to their charging station. Smart Pet Feeders We love our furry friends, but feeding them at the same time every day can be a challenge. Not only that but feeding our four-legged friends requires a bit of bending, too. Luckily, smart pet feeders do all the work for you! They distribute food and water automatically and on a consistent schedule.
Calm Your Mind, Boost Your Productivity: The Benefits of White Noise
Calming Effect White noise, especially calm nature sounds, exerts a soothing effect on the mind, providing a stable auditory environment that reduces sudden distractions. The calming influence can help you feel more positive and enable the mind to transition to a more conducive state for a deeper focus on work or study. Boosts Concentration White noise boosts concentration by increasing background neural “noise” in the brain, which helps essential neural signals to stand out and be detected, which can enhance cognitive performance. This can be particularly useful when you need to train your attention while tackling complex problems. Enhances Creativity Some studies suggest that moderate white noise can improve creativity and imaginative thinking. It keeps the idea gateway open during the generative process and enables you to think freely and develop novel solutions. Whether you’re studying, working, or engaging in creative endeavors, the benefits of white noise extend to a wide range of activities, making it a versatile tool for enhancing focus.
White noise is commonly used to help people fall asleep, but now, more people are using it to increase their concentration during the workday. By providing a consistent background sound, white noise can mask environmental distractions like chattering, traffic, or intermittent noises that may otherwise disturb concentration. Here are a few benefits of utilizing white noise in your day.
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AGAINST ALL ODDS How a DNA Test Unraveled a 50-Year-Old Mystery
As a parent, there’s no scenario more horrifying than your child going missing or getting abducted. Most of us can’t even imagine the despair and helplessness many parents have felt after the unimaginable happens to their family. There’s always hope the child resurfaces, even after many years — and one Fort Worth family recently learned why you should never give up that hope. In 1971, Alta Apantenco placed an advertisement in the local newspaper for a babysitter for her 21-month-old daughter, Melissa. Apantenco was recently separated from her husband and struggled to make ends meet. A woman named Ruth Johnson responded to the ad and agreed to meet Alta to discuss the position but never showed up. Ruth called Apantenco back days later, stating that she had a large backyard and would love to watch Melissa there. Desperate for child care, Apantenco agreed. A woman wearing
white gloves and multiple scarves in the August heat came to pick up Melissa from Apantenco’s roommate at her apartment — and that was the last anyone saw Melissa for over 50 years. The family searched for decades to no avail. Then, in November 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a tip that Melissa was in South Carolina. While that lead didn’t pan out, the family felt reinvigorated to restart the search. Melissa’s father submitted a DNA test to 23andMe, and when the results came back, he learned about a granddaughter he didn’t know he had. Through some sleuthing, the family found Melissa under a different name on Facebook. It took time to convince Melissa that she had been kidnapped, but after the family asked her about a birthmark, there was no doubt in her mind. The woman who raised her had been abusive, so Melissa ran away at age 15 and eventually started a family of her own in a town less than 20 miles from where she was kidnapped. She’s since reconnected with her family and looks forward to making up for their missed time together. “It’s overwhelming, but at the same time, it’s the most wonderful feeling in the world,” Melissa stated.
Baked Salmon With Garlic and Lemon
IF ANY OF YOU LACKS WISDOM, HE SHOULD ASK GOD, WHO GIVES GENEROUSLY TO ALL WITHOUT FINDING FAULT, AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO HIM.
Prepare to tantalize your taste buds with a zesty dish that combines salmon with the vibrant flavors of garlic and lemon!
Ingredients
• 2 lbs salmon fillets • 4 cloves garlic, minced • Juice of 2 lemons • 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried oregano • 1 tsp dried thyme • Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. 2. Line a baking dish with parchment paper. Place the salmon fillets on the baking dish. 3. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture over the salmon. 4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the salmon is cooked through. Serve and enjoy!
JAMES 1:5
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Call Now To Speak to An Attorney 304-594-1800 211 Everhart Drive Morgantown, WV 26508
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Looking Ahead to the 2024 Legal Landscape
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The Remarkable Reunion 50 Years in the Making Baked Salmon With Garlic and Lemon Transform Your Home With These 3 Smart Devices! White Noise: Your Secret to Enhanced Concentration
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Meet Kupata, Georgia’s Street-Roaming Pup Hero
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The Stray Dog Who Captured the World’s Heart KUPATA’S ROAD TO FAME
We often think dogs live the good life, as they seem to do nothing but play, eat, and sleep. Yet, some dogs are busy at work, some without being asked to do so! Take Kupata, the stray dog in Georgia, for example. This street-roaming pup takes it upon himself to guard a crosswalk all day, every day. In the town of Batumi, this stray stays by a single crosswalk and forces traffic to stop to allow pedestrians to cross the street. He’s especially protective of children! If Kupata sees a car isn’t slowing down, he’ll bark at the driver as they drive away and run to protect the person crossing the street. One local even shared that Kupata will cross the road with children and stay at the park to protect the youngsters.
Kupata, which in English means “sausage,” has become a staple in the community due to his hard work, and locals all pitch in to care for and feed the stray dog. His consistently round belly shows just how loved he is. You’ll even see a massive painting of the beloved animal on a nearby building. Now, after tireless days of guarding his street, Kupata has his own doghouse provided by the city with an accompanying star on the road with his name on it. Kupata’s dedication made him go viral on social media, and now travelers from all over the world come to see Kupata. Don’t distract him, though. He’s busy at work!
of stray dogs in the country need shelter, food, and companionship. According to activists, around 500,000 stray dogs and cats roam the streets of Georgia. While stray animals may get a bad reputation for being dangerous or unfriendly, Kupata proves that even these furry friends deserve love and recognition.
Sadly, even though Kupata remains cherished by his community, thousands
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