Sentinel Lifestyle
Five ways to avoid tax penalties in 2026
As a certified public accountant, the most common question I hear in the spring is, “How much do I actually have to pay the IRS right now?” In a perfect world, the IRS wants 90% of your total tax liability paid “ratably” (equally) throughout the year. The problem? Most successful people don’t have perfectly predictable […]
A month-old pony moves to a 4th-floor apartment in Croatia. Neighbors don’t mind
ROVINJ, Croatia | A month-old pony named Mile is the newest resident of an apartment building in the northern Croatian coastal town of Rovinj. Mile has moved in temporarily to his owners’ fourth-floor flat because his mother rejected him at birth. He also needs round-the-clock care after undergoing an operation for a life-threatening infection in […]
Luke’s ‘Empire’ light saber, ‘Wizard of Oz’ witch hat and Lebowski rugs going up for auction
LOS ANGELES | A light saber with Luke Skywalker’s severed hand from “The Empire Strikes Back” that is expected to sell for seven figures headlines an upcoming auction of valuables from movies, music and other corners of pop culture. The Hollywood & Entertainment Signature Auction presented by Heritage Auctions announced Tuesday and held July 13-17 […]
Some anglers praise forward-facing sonar, others say high-tech fishing ruins a day at the lake
BISMARCK, N.D. | Ah, the serenity of fishing. Just an angler, a fishing pole and maybe thousands of dollars worth of sonar equipment offering an exact image of what that walleye or bass is doing in the watery depths below. It’s called forward-facing sonar, and the hot-selling products are not only helping anglers increase their […]
How Americans celebrated the bicentennial — with fireworks, a Freedom Train and Farrah
WASHINGTON | In 1976’s ” Rocky,” heavyweight champion Apollo Creed arrives for the title fight dressed as George Washington, reenacting the crossing of the Delaware as models costumed as the Statue of Liberty lead the way. After entering the ring, Apollo switches into an Uncle Sam costume. “I want YOU!” he roars as he points […]
FDA’s e-cigarette authorization: Fruity vapes not significantly better than tobacco ones
WASHINGTON | Fruit-flavored e-cigarettes recently authorized by the Food and Drug Administration were not significantly better at helping smokers quit than tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes, according to a new memo that’s likely to stir more questions about the agency’s decision. The FDA last month gave its first OK to fruit-flavored vapes — essentially endorsing them as a […]
A blind Ukrainian veteran turns pottery into a business and mentors others
VINNYTSIA, Ukraine | The two burly men stare straight ahead, hands intertwined on a pottery wheel, fingers buried in the clay. They sense each other’s presence through touch alone. One is a veteran who lost his sight in combat and now teaches other blind veterans. Slowly, a piece resembling a cup takes form. The instructor, […]
An ancient whale graveyard in the Indian Ocean teems with life
NEW YORK | Scientists have unearthed communities of marine life — including jellyfish, tubeworms and brittle stars — thriving on a millions-year-old whale graveyard. These graveyards form when whale carcasses fall to the sea floor, becoming a sustaining snack for nearby critters. This one, located up to 23,000 feet (7 kilometers) below the surface of […]
Visa plugs its payment network into ChatGPT, letting AI agents shop and pay for users
SAN FRANCISCO | Betting that people will soon grow more comfortable having artificial intelligence agents shop for groceries, plane tickets or diapers on their behalf, payments giant Visa said Wednesday that it has embedded its payment network inside of ChatGPT, empowering the chatbot to independently shop and complete transactions. It means AI agents can not […]
The skills people still perform better than AI, according to workplace experts
NEW YORK | Many workers fear machines will supplant them as adoption of artificial intelligence accelerates. But what if people have qualities both unmistakably human and essential to career success that AI could not easily replace them? Some workplace experts argue that with more businesses adopting AI tools, soft skills such as empathy, critical thinking […]