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Over nearly 30 years in the Navy, I learned how to solve problems.I started as an aviation electrician’s mate, fixing aircraft on the flight line. I later drove warships as a surface warfare officer. Eventually, I transitioned into public affairs, serving in multiple combat zones, working with foreign militaries, and on joint staffs where policy, law, and strategy collided daily.Fixing airplanes teaches systems thinking. Driving warships teaches accountability under pressure. Serving as a public affairs officer teaches you how to read policy, understand statutes, and explain complex government machinery in plain English.By the time I retired, I believed I was ready for any challenge.I was not ready for my own retirement benefits.When I left active duty, I assumed I understood the Survivor Benefit Plan. Instead, I discovered more than $6,000 per year being deducted from my retirement pay.Here is what happened.During my divorce, my former spouse filed a claim with the Defense Finance and Accounting Service asserting entitlement to Survivor Benefit Plan coverage. I was never notified that he had made that claim. Later, our divorce decree was amended and explicitly waived SBP coverage.Because I was never informed that he had filed the claim in the first place, I had no reason to believe DFAS was operating under outdated information. I did not think to send DFAS the amended decree. I believed the matter had been resolved legally.It had not.The premiums continued to be deducted.What followed was a case study in bureaucratic opacity. Top Stories Military News A new VA disability rule may lower millions of veteran disability ratings By Blake Stilwell History Flintlock to firepower: The grunt’s 250-year quest for a weapon that actually works By Adam Gramegna Feature The God-Switch: What Elon Musk’s Starlink can actually be used for By Adam Gramegna I made nearly three dozen phone calls to DFAS. I submitted eleven formal AskDFAS inquiries. Different DFAS representatives gave me different and at times incorrect instructions on how to remedy the issue. One operator suggested a process that did not apply to my situation. Another directed me toward a corrective pathway that would not have resolved the underlying problem. Each time, I started over.At one point, I was given an explanation for the garnishment that did not align with my records or the amended decree. Each conversation required retelling the history, re-explaining the documents, and navigating a system where the burden of correction rested entirely on me.This was not a matter of misunderstanding a benefits brochure. I had spent years on joint staffs parsing complex policy language. I had worked in combat zones where regulatory clarity mattered. I understood how federal systems are structured.Yet I still had to immerse myself in statutory language and administrative procedures to determine what had happened and how to fix it.In frustration, I turned to artificial intelligence tools to help map the relevant statutes and procedural requirements so I could identify the correct pathway myself.Eventually, I obtained financial remedy. The improper deductions were stopped. The withheld funds were reimbursed.But here is the uncomfortable reality. If someone who fixed aircraft, drove warships, and interpreted policy for a living struggled to untangle this, what happens to the retiree without that background?The Survivor Benefit Plan itself is not the villain. Its purpose is legitimate. The problem lies in how the system handles notice, communication, and administrative rigidity.First, there is inadequate transparency. When a former spouse files a claim or deemed election, the service member should receive clear, documented notification. Without that notice, the retiree has no reason to know additional action is required.Second, education is insufficient. A lifelong financial election should not hinge on a single transition briefing. SBP education should be standardized and reinforced at multiple career milestones.Third, administrative guidance must be consistent. Retirees should not receive conflicting instructions from different representatives when attempting to resolve legitimate issues.SBP operates as a powerful default. If you are married at retirement, you are automatically enrolled unless you opt out. Defaults are not inherently wrong, but when combined with limited education, inconsistent guidance, and weak notification, they create predictable harm.Financial stress is not abstract. Six thousand dollars per year in unexpected deductions compounds the already complex transition from military service to civilian life.This is not a call to dismantle SBP. It is a call to modernize it.Congress should require clear notification requirements when former spouse claims are filed.Congress should mandate standardized SBP education at multiple career touchpoints, not solely at retirement.Congress should also authorize administrative flexibility so amended divorce decrees that explicitly waive SBP can be processed without retirees navigating a procedural maze.The Navy taught me to anticipate risk, understand systems, and take care of people. Retirement systems should reflect those same values.After nearly three decades of service fixing aircraft, driving warships, and explaining policy, I never expected that protecting my own retirement pay would require mastering inconsistent administrative guidance just to correct paperwork I was never told existed.A system designed to safeguard military families should not depend on retirees winning a bureaucratic endurance contest to protect their own pay. Featured Feature I served nearly 30 years fixing aircraft, driving warships, and explaining policy. The Survivor Benefit Plan still blindsided me. 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VIDEO: Federal civil rights complaint filed against the University of Missouri – St. Louis

There was a period, way back in the olden days, when the only way to become a star was to be “discovered” by a movie studio and have your pretty face projected up on the silver screen. That pathway to stardom seems almost quaint nowadays. Today, folks become famous for something as little as a TikTok video splashed across a certain number of smartphones. Of course, those quick-fame phenoms can become unfamous again a minute and a half later. The one thing that never changes in the world of entertainment, though, is the fact that entertainment is always changing. And the newest trend is something called micro-dramas or vertical dramas. If you haven’t seen these short form productions tiptoe into your social media feed, you will soon. They’re the spearpoint of an industry that’s pulling in around $8 billion (as of the end of 2025) and projected to grow to $20 or $30 billion in the next several years. What are they? Vertical dramas are essentially 90-minute soap operas that are divided up into one- to three-minute episodes. And they’re designed to be viewed, well, vertically on your smartphone of choice. No need for CinemaScope or VistaVision with these narrow-framed 9:16 flicks. As far as the serials themselves are concerned, micro-dramas can run a pretty wide gamut of genres. But because of the heavy use of emotional cliffhangers, the dramas you’ll find most often will entail high-stakes, fast-paced melodrama. You’ll find romance/revenge stories, family betrayal tales, power fantasies and supernatural yarns in the list of categories. “My Firefighter Ex-Husband Burns in Regret,” “How to Tame a Silver Fox” and “Curse of the Dragon King” are all current, popular vertical drama titles. OK, but where do you actually find these chest-thumping mini productions? You may catch some teaser episodes on YouTube or Instagram, but for the most part, these micro-dramas are watched on apps such as CandyJar, ReelShort, DramaBox and Soda Reels—platforms that give viewers the chance to stream hundreds of titles. Most of them sprinkle out some free episodes, but once they sink the hook for a given storyline, they ask you to pay. All right, so if you’re paying for these micro-dramatic bites like you might pay for a movie or a streaming service, then what’s the draw? Part of the answer to that question stems from how we consume media these days. Let’s face it, short-form video has become a dominant, defining aspect of our modern society. Some 80% of Gen Zers profess to predominantly engaging with short-form video and little else. And vertical dramas fit snuggly into that fast-moving, short attention-spanned, always-scrolling culture. Another “selling point” for the micro-drama vibe is that this form of entertainment is easy to create. Micro-drama creators can produce entire 60-80 episode series in as little as one week. They’re high-speed and low-budget productions. So there’s no long wait for another season or a long-anticipated sequel. In fact, user feedback can potentially impact vertical dramas if the creators set things up that way. They’re just a fad, right? If you’re thinking that this new mobile entertainment trend will be short-lived, you might want to think again. One testament to the long-term success of vertical dramas is the fact that Hollywood’s biggest union, SAG-AFTRA has joined in. SAG-AFTRA announced that it will soon introduce a new contractual framework for any vertical drama creators who hope to use professional union actors for their work. So, yeah. Things just got serious. Now, I’m not suggesting that vertical dramas are going to eclipse Hollywood or make movies and TV shows obsolete. Frankly, I’ve watched some micro-drama offerings and “soap opera” is a very good descriptor. However, it’s easy to see that producers in this domain are hoping to fill as much of your in-between time as they can—and translate that interval into some handy profit. In other words, vertical dramas may be micro entertainment tailored for short attention spans, but they’ll come packing high-octane shows that make it easy for you to gobble up “just one more” juicy cinematic bite. And in turn, they will pack your ever-dwindling day just a bit more tightly. When will you venture outside, enjoy the sunshine and smell the flowers? Well, that’s a difficult question to answer. There might be an open slot between the last episode of “Found a Homeless Billionaire Husband for Christmas” and the beginning of “No Escape from the Mafia King’s Embrace.” (Sadly, those are real titles of vertical dramas.) But parents will want to teach their kids discernment in the micro drama category—potentially previewing any series their kids want to watch, since Plugged In isn’t currently reviewing this form of entertainment—just as they would any other form of media or entertainment. The post Vertical Dramas: The Next Big Hollywood Hit? appeared first on Plugged In.

“[Sex scenes] are not the most comfortable scenes to shoot, but I think Luke and I have such a great relationship now that we're able talk about how silly it is. You know, we're in a bathtub together with a crew [standing around].” 

"I just want the whole curriculum to be shown to the parents in a way where they can actually understand" The post Teacher Claims School Threatened to Fire Him for Refusing to Read LGBT Book to 1st Graders first appeared on Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion.

After years of appeals, Google has finally won approval to export high-precision geographic information out of South Korea and provide proper Google Maps services in the country, including walking and real-time driving directions.

Notable quotables from Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris, Tim Walz, David LaGrand, JD Vance, CAPT Royce Williams, Erick Erickson, and more.

Is it summer yet? I know it’s only February, but I’m already sick of winter weather and 5 pm sunsets. I’m ready for some warm sun, cold drinks and of course, country music. If you’re in the same boat, it’s time to make plans for Carolina Country Music Festival. The festival returns to beautiful Myrtle Beach, South Carolina from Thursday, June 4 through Sunday, June 6, and this year features a powerhouse lineup of some of the biggest names in country music, including headliners Post Malone, Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan and Riley Green. And now, the festival is unveiling the full lineup packed full of country music legends and the best up and coming artists alike. This year’s festival will feature performances from Cole Swindell, Tucker Wetmore, Justin Moore, Chris Janson, Lauren Alaina, Tracy Lawrence, Flatland Cavalry, Chris Lane, Rodney Atkins, Ashley Cooke, Dasha, LOCASH, Drew Baldridge, Drake White, Emily Ann Roberts, Zach John King, The Wilder Blue, Graham Barham, Channing Wilson, Julia Cole, Laci Kaye Booth, Whey Jennings, Davisson Brothers Band, Filmore, Myles Morgan, Slater Nalley, Diamond Dixie, Chandler Carpenter and The Reckless Souls, Byrdie Wilson, Darren Deese, Rut Spence and more. All in all, the festival will feature over 40 artists performing across multiple stages, just steps away from the beach and in the heart of downtown Myrtle Beach. Speaking on this year’s lineup, Southern Entertainment CEO Bob Durkin praised the wide range of artists who will be hitting the stage: “We’ve got two of the hottest artists in country right now — Post Malone and Riley Green — alongside two of the genre’s biggest mainstays, Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton. From global superstars to artists on the rise, we’re bringing together an incredible mix of talent for four unforgettable days on the beach.” I grew up going to Myrtle Beach every year, like I’m sure many of you did, and some of my best memories are strolling the boardwalk, listening to the music from outside The Bowery before I could even get in, and hanging out at the old Myrtle Beach Pavilion – whose former home now serves as the site for Carolina Country Music Fest. From Broadway at the Beach to Brookgreen Gardens, world class golf courses (and endless mini golf too, if that’s more your speed) and of course, incredible nightlife, Myrtle Beach really does have something for everybody of any age. Add in a country music festival in the heart of the city right off Ocean Boulevard, and you can’t really beat it. Carolina Country Music Festival is now entering its second decade and has sold out four consecutive years – and with Main Stage VIP tickets for 2026 already sold out, you’re probably not going to want to wait much longer to get your tickets for this one. As an added bonus, today is the last day to get the Thursday night kickoff concert included with the purchase of your three-day ticket, so there’s even more incentive to lock in your plans now. General admission tickets start at just $79 per day for four days of non-stop music (but keep reading and we can help you save a little money). Festival goers will get to enjoy entry to the festival’s air-conditioned dive bars featuring live music throughout the day, curated shopping villages, interactive fan activities and Music City-inspired favorites such as karaoke, dueling pianos and line dancing lessons—delivering an authentic Nashville-style celebration to the Carolina coast. But if you’re looking to elevate your experience Carolina Country Music Festival also offers Super VIP tickets that gives fans the most exclusive access, including a private festival entrance, front row viewing at the main stage, an elevated viewing platform with a full-service bar, an air-conditioned catering tent with seating, curated food offerings with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and evening buffets Friday through Sunday, private restrooms and an open bar within the Super VIP section. Tickets for the festival are on sale NOW at CarolinaCountryMusicFest.com, and they’re going quick so if you’re looking for summer plans you should probably go ahead and lock in now – and if you use code WHISKEYRIFF at checkout you’ll even get 10% off. Get your tickets now, and we’ll see you at the beach. The post Carolina Country Music Festival Unveils Jam-Packed 2026 Lineup, Featuring Post Malone, Riley Green & Many More first appeared on Whiskey Riff.