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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Business
- Yahoo
She Spent Years Paying Off $300,000 In Student Debt. Now That It's Gone, This Doctor Wants To Quit Her $190,000 Job
Kristina, a physician from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, called into 'The Ramsey Show' with a surprising dilemma. After spending four years paying off over $300,000 in student loans, she said she no longer wants to work full time. 'I feel crazy saying this,' she told hosts Dave Ramsey and John Delony. 'But I don't want to return to work.' Kristina, who just had her third child, explained that she's feeling burned out and wants to stay home with her kids. Her husband, who had been working part-time and caring for their other children, recently started a full-time job at a bank. He currently earns $56,000 a year, with the potential to reach $70,000 after training. Don't Miss: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — Peter Thiel turned $1,700 into $5 billion—now accredited investors are eyeing this software company with similar breakout potential. Learn how you can If she were to return to work, she would earn around $190,000 annually. Quitting would mean a massive income drop, but Kristina said that part doesn't scare her. They would be able to make it on $70,000, she said, as their only debt is a $95,000 mortgage, and they have about $230,000 saved for retirement. When asked if she was fully done with medicine, Kristina said she wasn't sure. 'It's really hard to give my all to my husband and my children when I always have that stress on me,' she said. She already reached out to a few rural hospitals about possibly working one or two days a week in the future, when the baby is older. Trending: Maximize saving for your retirement and cut down on taxes: . Ramsey and Delony encouraged her to take a break but urged her not to completely walk away from the profession. 'You have paid such a price of commitment and diligence to become a doctor and then to pay off the $300,000,' Ramsey said. 'To go do nothing with it for the rest of your life seems extreme.' Delony pointed out that many physicians who step away often come back to the field in some form. Ramsey agreed and gave this advice to her: 'I would quit doing what you're doing so that you can be with your kids... I wouldn't work the hours you're working. I would not stay in the $190,000 position,' he said. 'But I would try to find some greatly reduced middle ground that you can stand on because I think you'll be happier.'Kristina seemed open to that. She said maintaining her medical license wouldn't be difficult and that she'd consider light telemedicine or rural clinic work. Ramsey noted that even part-time work could still result in significant income: 'You're going to make plenty of money... the natural result of that is going to be $100,000 a year probably.' The hosts praised Kristina and her husband for their financial discipline. 'Good for you guys,' Ramsey said. 'Very well done.' Read Next: Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article She Spent Years Paying Off $300,000 In Student Debt. Now That It's Gone, This Doctor Wants To Quit Her $190,000 Job originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
How this driving school applies psychology to teach teens (and their parents) about safer driving
From drawing to playing basketball, brushing your teeth or riding a bike, kids learn motor skills by practicing, usually under the careful tutelage of a parent. Tiny adjustments are made as they practice over and over, until the skill becomes second nature. Teen driving instructor Dan Wagner, founder of Teen Driving Solutions, thinks driving can be taught the same way, with help from schools like his, which also involves teaching parents how to coach their kids how to drive. By creating more ways for teen drivers to train cognitively, new drivers are more likely to develop the muscle and mental memory to avoid problems on the road. One element of that is grasping hazard perception, or the ability to detect and respond to developing situations like bicycle riders along the shoulder or small actions that indicate another driver is about to cut in front of them. Those psychological connections make more sense for new drivers when they're taught specific skills versus simply learning the rules. Driver's license rules vary widely from state to state in America. Teens can apply for a learner's permit at 14 in Iowa and may carry other passengers at their parents' discretion, while young drivers in Alaska with a Provisional license may not have any passengers under the age of 21 in the car with them other than siblings. Across the board, however, one thing is sure: Car crashes are a leading cause of death for teenagers. It doesn't have to be that way, says Wagner, who founded Teen Driving Solutions 15 years ago to teach new drivers how to prevent injuries and fatalities for themselves and others. It's way beyond just teaching adolescents the rules of the road; Teen Driving Solutions offers techniques that train them to avoid potential accidents altogether. While the kids are in class or completing drills, parents are picking up tips on how to be a better coach in the car. That requires some psychology and a sprinkling of illustrative stories that drive the point home about what can happen if you don't pay attention. The course itself is a full two days, and at least one parent learns alongside the teen so the messages are embedded in each family. These classes can also teach parents how to be more effective driving instructors for their kids, both in terms of how to keep calm while their child is behind the wheel and how to communicate with them while they're driving 'Often, parents teaching their children to drive take on much of the cognitive load of the task themselves,' Jessica Hafetz Mirman, PhD, a lecturer in applied psychology at the University of Edinburgh, told the American Psychological Association. 'They will instruct teens on when to start a turn and when to brake, for example, and will scan the road for hazards themselves.' Instead, Wagner instructs parents on how to set a good example to better guide their kids to be safe drivers. Most parents don't know how to teach their teens how to drive, Wagner says, and he sees too many of them riding shotgun while looking at their phones when they could be watching out for opportunities to help their young drivers improve. 'Talking to your kids about driving should be as common as we talk to them about sports and their grades,' Wagner says. In the U.S., we have made the acquisition of a driver's license all about passing a written test about the rules of the road and a road test to demonstrate a driver's ability to comply, Wagner says. For a lifetime of driving, that focus is skewed. Considering that some teens can get their permit without an in-person or even an online course requirement (Alaska, Alabama, Nebraska, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and West Virginia) should be a little alarming to everyone, since paper driving logs are easily padded or even falsified. New drivers are launched on the roads on a daily basis, which may offer similar disastrous results as releasing the Kraken of ancient Greek mythology. Wagner's mission is to change lives by empowering teens with mental and driving skills that are proven to keep them safe. Participants repeat the course mantra ('Arrive alive every time you drive') several times throughout the weekend. Instructors–all of them with extensive driving experience, and many with tragic stories of motor vehicle fatalities in their own family and friend groups–use techniques that ensure the new drivers remember. Above all, practice is a major factor in safer driving. Teen drivers are often assumed to be reckless and irresponsible right off the bat, and an underdeveloped prefrontal cortex is blamed. Wagner disagrees with that premise, and he has the statistics to back it up: He says 98 percent of graduates from the Teen Driving Solutions program remain incident free (no crashes) for at least five years. 'I contend there is nothing about the way the prefrontal cortex develops that affects [teen driving fatalities],' Wagner says. 'With training and experience, they can become a safer driver.' At the training in the last weekend of May, a teen driver named Leo stood up in front of the crash with his father to explain how he was recently involved in a minor fender bender. He walked through the steps and identified what caused the accident and what he could do differently in the future, in the process cementing a new path for the synapses to connect in his brain. 'Driving requires a lot of critical thinking in the moment,' one young student observed after an emergency braking drill. Technology continues to improve and expand in regards to car safety, and many automakers offer a full suite of driver-assist features like blind-spot warnings, rear cross-traffic alerts, and automatic emergency braking. However, we should be cautious about shifting away from crash prevention training, Warner cautions. The onus, Wagner says, shouldn't stray from the driver just because cars are getting more technologically savvy. Ultimately, drivers still control the car, not the computers. 'If there is one single thought or principle that was conveyed in this class, I hope it's the fact that the majority of today's teen crashes are set in motion before these drivers ever open the door of that automobile and climb behind the wheel,' Wagner tells the students in his most recent course. 'All of us as drivers need to understand that the most critical element in preventing crashes is the mindset we possess around our approach to driving.' At the 'graduate session' at the end of two days, the teens demonstrate their new skills on a wet skid pad that stands in for slippery road situations. As he exited the training vehicle, one of the students removed his helmet as he considered what he'd just learned. 'It taught me a very different perspective on driving and really, about how dangerous it can be if you're not careful,' he said. 'It's about handling yourself better than others on the road.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Science
- Yahoo
The Earth could be soon flung out of orbit or into the sun - all thanks to a passing star
Could a passing star be on a collision course with our solar system and, eventually, Earth? It's difficult to know if such an outcome is likely. Recently, researchers have found the Milky Way likely won't crash into its neighboring galaxy any time soon. Our blue marble is already slated to be eaten by our sun in several billion years, after it turns into a red giant and expands. But researchers said in a recent study published in the journal Icarus that thousands of computer simulations indicate there's a chance a passing field star – a star that appears in the same region of the sky as another object being studied – could cause more havoc than previously believed. 'Our simulations indicate that isolated models of the solar system can underestimate the degree of our giant planets' future secular orbital changes by over an order of magnitude. In addition, our planets and Pluto are significantly less stable than previously thought,' Nathan Kaib and Sean Raymond, a pair of astronomers, wrote in May. Kaib is from Iowa's Planetary Science Institute and Raymond is from France's University of Bourdeaux. The study's authors say passing stars are the most probable trigger for instability during the course of the next four billion years. The gravitational tug could cause instability to completely stable objects, including Pluto: formerly the ninth planet of our solar system. Over the course of five billion years, stars could transform Pluto from a completely stable object to one with a chaotic set of gravitational interactions that sets it off its orbit. While the odds of those changes occurring in that time frame from Pluto are approximately five percent, they are exponentially greater for Mercury. The risk of instability for the solar system's first planet would increase by between around 50 and 80 percent. 'We also find an approximately 0.3 percent chance that Mars will be lost through collision or ejection and an approximately 0.2 percent probability that Earth will be involved in a planetary collision or ejected,' they wrote. Kaib previously published work that suggested Earth's orbit was altered by a passing star three million years ago. 'We looked at the typical, run-of-the-mill flybys,' Raymond told New Scientist. 'These are the stars that really do pass by the sun all the time, cosmically speaking.' Still, these simulations aside, Kaib told Science News that 'none of these things are probable.' Although, the outlet notes, a 0.2 percent chance of collision with the Earth is much greater than previous research has found. 'It's a little scary how vulnerable we may be to planetary chaos,' Renu Malhotra, a planetary scientist at the University of Arizona who was not involved with the study, told Science News.
USA Today
5 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
What are the odds Iowa football goes undefeated in 2025?
What are the odds Iowa football goes undefeated in 2025? Could the 2025 season have some magic in store for the Iowa Hawkeyes? Is it possible that they could run the table and go undefeated given their slate? It isn't necessarily the most likely, but based on the odds, crazier things have happened. The Hawkeyes are the beneficiaries of getting seven of their 12 games at home inside Kinnick Stadium, two of which appear to be their most difficult games on paper. At home this year, in order, Iowa gets UAlbany, UMass, Indiana, Penn State, Minnesota, Oregon, and Michigan State. The matchups against Penn State and Oregon, two teams that made the 2024 College Football Playoff, are their toughest tests. While the slate has just five road trips, the Week 2 trip takes Iowa to Iowa State for an early-season battle. The road slate, in order, takes Iowa to Iowa State, Rutgers, Wisconsin, USC, and Nebraska. So, can Iowa run the table and go undefeated? According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Hawkeyes have the eighth-best odds to go undefeated, with odds of +6500. At the top of the odds are the usual players in the Big Ten and national championship landscape. Ohio State (+400), Oregon (+440), and Penn State (+490) are the most likely to run the table with their regular-season slates. Michigan sits with +1100 odds, and the upstart Illinois Fighting Illini, who many view as a sleeper, have +2800 odds to go undefeated. Rounding out the list before Iowa is Nebraska with +4000 odds and USC at +4800. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Riley on X: @rileydonald7
USA Today
6 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Ranking the Big Ten's top 10 conference games in 2025
Ranking the Big Ten's top 10 conference games in 2025 The addition of four West Coast schools has put more emphasis on the "Big" and less emphasis on the "Ten," and it's also resulted in an increased strength of schedule for most teams within one of the nation's premier conferences. In the first season with 18 teams, the Big Ten included its fair share of marquee matchups, and 2025 looks to deliver the same amount, if not more, of premium matchups. While many traditional rivalries remain, there are many new battles between unfamiliar opponents, making for interesting clashes throughout the fall. Here's a look at the top 10 conference games for the Big Ten in 2025. No. 10: Michigan vs. Washington, Oct. 18 Though both teams proved disappointing in 2024 relative to expectations, it was only two seasons ago the Wolverines and Huskies met in the national championship game, in which Michigan came out victorious. Both teams have undergone significant changes since then, both on the rosters and coaching staffs, but this game should provide some high-level play between two proud programs. Both teams are excited about what their young quarterbacks can be in their first seasons at the helm, and last year's matchup provides added fuel after Washington pulled the upset. No. 9: Illinois vs. USC, Sept. 27 The two haven't clashed since 2008, and both programs enter 2025 with soaring expectations. Illinois is coming off its first 10-win season since 2001 and returns quarterback Luke Altmyer, while USC has stacked talented recruiting classes and is looking to rebound from a 7-6 campaign last season. This battle features a clash of styles, with the Fighting Illini expected to be a physical, hard-nosed squad while the Trojans will likely bring a high-powered explosive offense to Champaign. Oh, and both teams believe they can be dark-horse College Football Playoff contenders. No. 8: Iowa vs. Oregon, Nov. 8 Iowa's conference schedule saw an increase in strength last season, something that will continue in 2025. As part of the Hawkeyes' slate, they'll host reigning Big Ten champion Oregon is what's sure to be a raucous Kinnick Stadium environment. Though the Ducks seem like the better team on paper, Iowa has pulled an upset or two over top-10 teams at home, and they'll have a couple of opportunities in the fall. This game also has a chance to be a ranked matchup, if Iowa can return to form. No. 7: Iowa vs. Penn State, Nov. 1 These programs have developed lots of bad blood in recent seasons, including several tightly contested matchups with major implications. Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz is 10-9 against Penn State, while James Franklin holds a 5-2 record against the Hawkeyes. Four of the last six matchups have been decided by one score, including Penn State's walk-off touchdown in 2017 and the infamous 2021 game in which Sean Clifford went down with injury as Iowa came from behind in a top-five matchup. This year's edition comes in Hawkeye territory, and both teams may be ranked when the Nittany Lions come to town. No. 6: Illinois vs. Ohio State, Oct. 11 Though it's not typically considered one of the Big Ten's major rivalries, these two programs have met more than most throughout their histories, with the Buckeyes holding a sizable 68-30-4 all-time advantage. Despite the lopsided history, this year's meeting could prove closer than many are expecting. The Fighting Illini are coming off a 10-win season, including a bowl victory over South Carolina, and are returning lots of production. Illinois has been known to pull an upset or two under head coach Bret Bielema, beating Michigan, Penn State and Iowa in recent seasons. Though Memorial Stadium isn't exactly an intimidating environment, getting the game at home doesn't hurt either. No. 5: USC vs. Michigan, Oct. 11 These two blue bloods have had several major clashes over the years, often coming with postseason implications. Michigan came out on top last year in a back-and-forth 27-24 battle, and this year's meeting figures to be another tight one. Both teams are hoping to rebound and compete for a playoff appearance in 2025, and a win in this matchup would serve as a resume booster, while a loss may be a knockout blow. Also, the uniform clash will be magical. No. 4: Oregon vs. USC, Nov. 22 In a battle of the two premier Pacific programs, the Ducks will host the Trojans in what's turned into a fierce rivalry. The blue blood will visit the new blood in a battle of elite offenses, with two young but talented head coaches looking to earn a marquee win in 2025. The Ducks figure to be the favorite on paper, but they lose a majority of their produuction from last year's conference championship team. If this game turns into a shootout, it could result in one of the best matchups of the year. No. 3: Michigan vs. Ohio State, Nov. 29 Viewed by many as the best rivalry game in the nation, and referred to simply as "The Game," fireworks are all but guaranteed when these squads clash on the gridiron. Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore now boasts a 2-0 record against the Buckeyes, while Ohio State's Ryan Day has fallen to just 1-4 against The Team Up North. Fresh off a national championship, Ohio State is hoping to snap its losing skid, but it'll have to do so in enemy territory. This game will likely be a ranked matchup, and could be a top-10 battle. No. 2: Penn State vs. Oregon, Sept. 27 Though they don't have a long and storied history, the Nittany Lions and Ducks battled for the Big Ten crown last season, which resulted a one-score thriller. When the dust settled in Indianapolis, Oregon came away with a conference title in its first season in the Big Ten. Penn State will look for revenge when it welcomes the Ducks for their first White Out experience, something Washington witnessed for the first time last season and struggled to handle. Additionally, both teams should be ranked in the top 10 and will serve as each other's first major test of the season. The star power on the field could result in a similar game to last year's matchup. No. 1: Ohio State vs. Penn State, Nov. 1 Ohio State and Penn State are the top teams in the conference and among the top four nationally in odds to win the national championship heading into 2025. They've had some close clashes in recent years, with six one-score games during James Franklin's tenure, including each of the last two years. The Buckeyes have consistently come out on top, winning 12 of the last 13 clashes between the two, but this year's Nittany Lion squad appears to be the best in years, at least on paper. Ohio State sent 14 players to the NFL this offseason, including four first-round picks, while Penn State retained several key players including Drew Allar, Nick Singleton, Kaytron Allen and Dani Dennis-Sutton. If the Nittany Lions are going to snap their losing streak, 2025 feels like the year to do it, but doing so in The Horseshoe won't be easy. Regardless, this projects as a top-five matchup and will feature two of the most talented rosters in the sport.
