
Prosperity Is Good for Marriage, and Vice Versa
A new report from AEI and the Institute of Family Studies shows that the share of married adults, and especially married parents, are associated with higher per-capita gross domestic product and lower levels of violent crime.

You’ve Been Blocked
What the expansion of ad blocking software means for small publishers
According to Fast Company, as ad blocking software becomes more ubiquitous (consider Apple’s new iOS 9, which supports ad blocking applications), the entire ecosystem of small publishers and bloggers is threatened by an inability to adequately fund their sites

Biomass Energy Produces Clean Energy and Improves Forest Health
There is growing momentum to build a strong, sustainable biomass energy infrastructure in California — great news for our environment and our forests. But in the meantime, many facilities are struggling to survive, and changes are needed to guarantee a stable future for this important green energy industry.

Dirty Water
Wastewater injection in the San Joaquin Valley threatens farmland
Tom Frantz has the sierra mountains to thank for his livelihood, since the snowmelt that runs off the peaks eventually sinks into the ground and, over time, descends into the natural underground reservoirs of the Central Valley. In drier years, Frantz gets most of his water from wells that tap into this aquifer. But the water, Frantz says, is being poisoned.

Making a Scene in El Dorado Hills
Several local indie movie productions hint at our region’s filmmaking history and future
Sacramento may not be the TV and movie hotspot that places like Austin or Atlanta have become, but on the set of one locally-produced film being made in El Dorado Hills, optimism is high for the greater Sacramento area to develop a burgeoning filmmaking scene.

Age Discrimination Is Widespread in U.S. Job Market, Study Finds
Discrimination, rather than lack of skills, may help to explain why older workers have longer periods of unemployment duration. Long periods of unemployment — six months or longer — have been one of the lasting problems in the wake of the 2007-2009 recession, the biggest downturn since the 1930s. What’s more, the bias worsens when gender is considered.”

5 Challenges for Meditation Newbies
(and how to overcome them)
Meditation is sort of a pain in the ass — especially when you’re a newb. If you are very early in your meditation journey check out these 5 common challenges beginners face and ways how to overcome them.

California Shows How Paid Leave Law Affects Businesses: Not Much
As presidential candidates debate government-mandated paid family leave, the U.S. has a 39 million-person test lab. California enacted the nation’s first such program in 2004 and it hasn’t been the death blow to businesses that opponents warned of, according to studies over the past decade.

Brewed by Design
The brewery tasting room is a new kind of social space, where ambience matters as much as ale
Wine tasting is often an experience shared only by the taster and pourer. A brewery tasting room, however, needs to facilitate the gregariously social aspects of craft beer, making space for interaction and mingling. Room to brew, room to chat and room to sample flights of beer make for highly dynamic spaces that bring to life the distinct personalities of brewers and their art.

Forget Raises: Employers Lean on Health Benefits to Retain Workers
Wages are still stagnant, yet employers have found something else to help attract and retain employees: health-care benefits. A good insurance plan has become a more vital tool than ever for hiring, according to a recent survey from the Society of Human Resources.