Monday mornings are the most common time that individuals experience sudden cardiac arrest. But our smartphones may be changing when we experience heart problems, according to new research published in the journal Heart Rhythm.

The study’s co-authors analyzed 2,631 cases of sudden cardiac arrest from the Oregon Sudden Unexpected Death Study to better understand when a sudden cardiac arrest is most likely. Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is an unexpected electrical malfunction of the heart and differs from a heart attack, which occurs when blow flood to the heart is blocked.

Historically, sudden cardiac arrests have been said to be most likely in the early morning. But in this latest study, early morning SCAs only accounted for 13.9% reported, while 27.6% happened in the morning and 26.9% in the evening.

One reason the once-peak times for SCAs could have shifted? Our phones, and our constant use of them. One of the study’s authors, Dr. Sumeet Chugh, Price Professor and associate director of the Heart Institute and director of the Heart Rhythm Center at Cedars-Sinai, told CNN that it could be due to shifting work habits. “A lot of people are working all the time, or they’re tied to, or tethered to, a smartphone, almost every instant of the day, sometimes at night,” he explained. “Our hypothesis is that in the last decade or two decades, we’ve really changed the way that we behave as human beings. We’ve changed the way that we work. We are constantly wired.”

Studies of this nature impact public health because emergency medical services, including first responders and hospital emergency rooms, often base staffing and availability on this kind of research data. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 70-90% of individuals who experience cardiac arrest die before reaching a hospital.

ESPN “analyst” Stephen A. Smith loves trolling the Cowboys, and often attempts to get under the skin of fans, so he couldn’t help himself from piling on after Dallas lost to Los Angeles in the Divisional Round over the weekend.

Smith rocked a cowboy hat and busted out a cigar during his radio show on Monday, and he spent a good chunk of the show talking about the state of the team. He called out the team’s brass, saying that it was finally time for them to fire head coach Jason Garrett, which seemed like a hot take, given what the Cowboys were able to achieve this season.

It was at that time that Smith opened up the phone lines and invited callers to weigh in. One particular caller, who went by the name of “Tex Johnson,” attempted to box Smith in. It was a clever call, and a well-executed troll job, because it was actually Shaquille O’Neal himself on the other end of it.

Centralia attorney Peter Abbarno has a degree in tax law, but now mostly works on personal injury and worker compensation claims.

But with lawyers in Washington facing potential tax increases, Abbarno is prepared to argue taxes with state lawmakers.

He plans on testifying against Governor Jay Inslee’s proposal to raise business and occupancy taxes on professional services, including lawyers, accountants, and architects.

Inslee has proposed raising professional taxes one percent, from 1.5 to 2.5 percent. Abbarno said that increase wouldn’t just hurt attorneys.

RELATED: Republican leaders say Gov. Inslee’s presidential aspirations are influencing policy decisions

“It’s going to siphon any money that we traditionally would reinvest in our workforce and our local communities,” said Abbarno.

In addition to the B&O tax increase, Inslee has proposed creating a capital gains tax for the state’s top investment earners, as well as increasing the excise tax on the sale of properties worth more than $1 million.

Nathan Gorton, Government Affairs Director for the Washington Realtors’ Association, said that increase would likely increase rent prices. He said most multi-family and commercial properties now sell for more than $1 million.

Gorton said someone from the association is planning on testifying against the tax increase when lawmakers reconvene in Olympia next week.

RELATED: Legislative leaders outline plans for upcoming session

Inslee said additional tax revenue is needed to improve schools, the mental health system, and to protect orcas better.

While Republicans have criticized the proposals, Inslee said that doesn’t surprise him and won’t prevent him from trying to get them passed.

Inslee thinks Washingtonians support the ideas.

“Voters voted on what they wanted,” Inslee said Thursday. “They happened to vote for the blue team.”

Melbourne, VIC – Tax Accountants & Wealth Advisors Melbourne, Melbourne’s best tax accountants will be opening their operation in 2019 to serve clients in Melbourne, VIC. Local businesses looking for an accounting firm that has expert specialists to help deal with the multiple problems that come with handling tax, accounting, and business finance, can contact their team for help.

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etermining which tax bracket your income falls into is surprisingly complex. But performing this calculation can be instrumental in helping you find strategies to reduce your federal tax bill and double-check any calculations done by a tax-software program or tax preparer.

Taxpayers in 2019 should know that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act generally reduced tax rates. But they should also note that the increased standard deduction and loss of personal exemptions, among other factors, will impact the calculations used to determine the tax bracket into which their income fathere are seven tax brackets for ordinary income — 10 percent, 12 percent, 22 percent, 24 percent, 32 percent, 35 percent and 37 percent — with the bracket determined by filers’ taxable income. The federal government uses a progressive tax system, which means that filers with higher incomes pay higher tax rates. It’s also graduated in such a way so that taxpayers don’t pay the same rate on every dollar earned, but instead pay higher rates on each dollar that exceeds a certain threshold.

Read on for additional information about each of these tax-filing processes — and how to use them to reduce your bill or increase your tax refund this year.

Before you know which tax bracket your income falls into, you have to know your tax-filing status. Common statuses include:

The status you’ll use will depend on whether you’re single or married, have qualifying dependents and other aspects of your specific tax situation. Many married couples file taxes jointly, but some may choose to file separately to reduce their student loan payments or because they’re in the process of divorcing.

Full disclosure: This step is difficult to do by hand, but it can be a worthwhile exercise.

First, calculate earnings from your work, investments, alimony, rental properties and other sources, then subtract any income that is considered an exclusion by the tax code, such as proceeds from a life insurance policy. That calculation will yield your gross income.

“Gross income is pretty much everything, and it’s defined in the law as income from all sources unless there’s an exception in the tax code,” says Chris Raulston, a Memphis, Tennessee-based wealth strategist at Raymond James.

Next, you’ll subtract certain tax adjustments, such as student loan interest and contributions to an individual retirement account, or IRA, to figure out your adjusted gross income.

After determining adjusted gross income, you’ll need to subtract tax deductions. That involves deciding whether to take the standard deduction ($12,000 for single filers; $24,000 for married filing jointly) or itemize, which you do by manually subtracting below-the-line deductions, such as charitable contributions and mortgage interest.

Finally, you’ll have reached your taxable income and can start to determine your tax bracket using this number. To complicate things, certain investment income is taxed at a capital gains rate and not at the ordinary income rate. So, keep that in mind as you do this.

Below are the tax brackets for 2019 for three common filing statuses. Dollar amounts represent taxable income:Rate Single Married Filing Jointly Head of Household 10% $0 – $9,525 $0 – $19,050 $0 – $13,600 12% $9,525 – $38,700 $19,050 – $77,400 $13,600 – $51,800 22% $38,700 – $82,500 $77,400 – $165,000 $51,800 – $82,500 24% $82,500 – $157,500 $165,000 – $315,000 $82,500 – $157,500 32% $157,500 – $200,000 $315,000 – $400,000 $157,500 – $200,000 35% $200,000 – $500,000 $400,000 – $600,000 $200,000 – $500,000 37% More than $500,000 More than $600,000 More than $500,000

Find the range into which your taxable income falls (remember, that’s after taking out adjustments and deductions) to determine your 2019 tax bracket and corresponding rate.

Say you’re a single filer who earned $50,000 in 2018 in taxable income. You’ll use the table to determine that you fall into the 22 percent tax bracket, which is known as your “marginal rate.” But that doesn’t mean you pay 22 percent of every taxable dollar to Uncle Sam. “Just because your income may fall into the 22 percent or 24 percent tax bracket, it doesn’t mean all your income is taxed at 22 percent or 24 percent,” says Mark Jaeger, the Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based director of tax development at tax software company TaxAct.

Instead, you’re paying 22 percent on any amount you earn above $38,700. So, your effective tax rate will actually look like this:

10 percent x $9,525 = $952.50 12 percent x $29,175 ($38,700 – $9,525) = $3,50122 percent x $11,300 ($50,000 – $38,700) = $2,486

Your total tax liability will be the total of those amounts, or $6,939.50, which is a nearly 14 percent effective rate.

To lower their tax bill, filers may want to use strategies to place themselves in a lower tax bracket, especially if their taxable income falls right on the cutoff line between brackets.

Before the end of the tax year is the best time to consider moves such as delaying income or making contributions to certain accounts, such as health savings accounts and retirement funds, experts say. But there is one more move they can make after Jan. 1. “Now that we’re in 2019, making those moves is starting to wind down,” Jaeger says. “But you can still make that traditional IRA deduction through April 15.” So if you’re looking to reduce taxable income for the taxes paid in 2019, make this retirement plan contribution before filing your taxes.

Work with your tax preparer or financial advisor to identify additional ways to lower your tax bracket. A financial professional may suggest “bunching” deductions in 2019, for example, to qualify to make itemized deductions and lower your tax bill.

SEO and content marketing deliver the lowest cost per acquisition (CPA), or cost per lead, of any other form of digital marketing. Even if your law firm dedicates most of its marketing budget to television or a robust pay-per-click campaign, you should still have a search engine marketing campaign to bring in those coveted low-cost leads.

For 2019, law firms can expect more competition as more lawyers fight for placement on the search engine results page. Here are five strategies your law firm can use to stay competitive:

A common misconception about search engine optimization is that it is all about tricks and gimmicks to get Google to think you have the best content. However, the search engine knows what is happening behind the scenes of your website marketing, so gimmicks are not going to fool the algorithms.

Rather than thinking about your law firm’s SEO as a magic show, think of it as a fitness test. Focus on building the best content. Look for questions that your clients are asking, and see how your competitors may be falling short on answering those questions. Whatever content your competitors are publishing, make sure yours is more informative, easier to understand and quickly answers your visitors’ questions.

Compete with strength, not gimmicks.

2. Page one, rank one is so 2014.

Over the last five years, Google has been selecting page content that gives a concise answer or definition to a search query and placing it in a box at the top of the search results page. This box is called a “featured snippet.” In the SEO community, it is referred to as “position zero.”

With well-written content, you can earn featured snippets through Q&A or blog content. When crafting questions, do so in a manner that is similar to how your clients search. For example, nobody is searching for “Will a grocery store’s premises liability policy help me if I’m injured?” Instead, you should write a Q&A title like: “Should I sue the grocery store after slipping on a wet floor?” By presenting questions followed by concise answers, you can encourage Google to use your content as a featured snippet.

Not only can a featured snippet lead to more traffic, but it can also help you optimize for voice searches, which leads us to No. 3.

3. Optimize for voice search.

Research shows that voice-first devices like Alexa and Google Home are currently owned by 39 million Americans. But those devices are just a small fraction of the 2 billion+ activated smartphones that are connected to the internet.

It does not stop there. Windows 10 and newer versions have the Cortana personal assistant; Apple iPhone, iPad and MacOS users have Siri; Android users or anybody who has downloaded the Google App on their mobile device has Google Assistant. Plus, every Chrome browser comes with Google Assistant, which can be activated by clicking on the blue microphone icon.

Voice is only getting more popular. With Google Assistant, whenever you ask a question, those answers are powered by websites that have featured snippets. If your law firm has the featured snippet, a voice searcher will hear an answer that starts with: “According to [Law Firm Name]” and then the content of the featured snippet.

To optimize for voice search, write content that answers the question first and then goes into details. For example, one of our clients is currently listed in a featured snippet for the question: “Are programmers exempt from overtime in California?”

They answer the question in the first two paragraphs but then provide examples of exempt salaries. It offers readers a lot of valuable information on the topic.

When answering a question, start with what the user is looking for. In this case, it might be something along the lines of: “It would depend. The law states that to be exempt from overtime, computer professionals or programmers must be paid a minimum salary and have advanced job duties.”

Start with a concise answer, and if the topic warrants it, go into more details.

I have written many times before about how AI is changing the landscape of marketing. It gives marketers the opportunity to reach more people while delivering personalized, relevant and timely content to them. Particularly interesting, is the use of AI in the retail industry. Many people fear that e-commerce giants threaten the existence of local retailers, but, brick-and-mortar stores aren’t dying, they’re simply evolving. The use of technology is enhancing customer connectivity and experience at every touchpoint, both online and in-store.

When Mckinsey interviewed Devin Wenig, President of eBay Marketplaces, about the transformation of retail, he said, “The death of the store has been greatly exaggerated. There will be a transformation, but not an end to it….You will see a fundamental restructuring of retail real estate—you will see distribution centers, local economies, technology-enabled shopping, and a very different approach toward how you engage with the consumer.”

AI-enhanced technology is not only being used by marketers to engage with customers and draw them in; but is being used by sales associates to shape or enhance customers’ physical, in-store experiences, as well. Take, for example, the chocolatier and candy retailer, Lolli & Pops, who launched the use of Mobica facial recognition technology last year to deliver a more personalized in-store experience to its VIP customers.

How? Customers that opt in to the loyalty program will walk into a store where a camera recognizes their face and sends that information to the app of one of Lolli & Pops’ “Magic Makers” – a sales associate who is then able to access the customers’ unique taste profile, preferences, purchase history, allergies, and more – so that individualized product recommendations can be made. I liken this to Amazon’s recommendation system, which more often than not lets me know about additional items I didn’t even know I wanted or needed (yet end up purchasing).

“While from the merchant standpoint incredible selection may seem great, from the consumer standpoint it can be overwhelming. I actually don’t want to shop in a store with a billion items for sale, I’m just looking for this. Data is the way to connect a long-tail advantage with consumers that oftentimes want simplicity,” .

Many times meetings come about for one of two reasons: they are either interested in putting a toe into the digital marketing pool, or they were burned badly by another agency and are coming to us hoping it will not be more of the same.

In both cases, prospects usually come in scared and unsure of what we do or how this “stuff” works; they just know they need to be doing it. They know this because the things they’ve been doing for years don’t work anymore, and they are hearing success stories of other companies experiencing massive growth from a single Facebook page or Instagram account.

These meetings call for good listening and understanding of what these companies are actually looking for. That way, we can try to uncover the real need being stated so we can prepare a solution and start a relationship. Most express that they are looking for sales, leads and positive ROI. Basically, we hear the same questions: Can you help grow my business? How are you going to do it? How much is it going to cost? But one question I rarely hear is: How long is this going to take?

People often perceive that digital is something you do for your company when, in actuality, it’s something your company does for your customers. People often perceive that digital is a promotion or campaign that has a beginning and an end. This could not be further from the truth. Digital is not something that is purchased, promoted or sponsored. Digital is your company’s ability to not only share your story and values but to engage with those who share those values. Digital is not just a Facebook post, Google keyword or sponsored video. Digital is the way to engage in conversations and share information.

The new year is upon us, and I’d like to encourage a new train of thought as it pertains to digital and your business: Instead of looking at digital as a means to generate more business, look at digital as a means to engage with those who share your values. What do your customers care about most? One way to find out is to clearly understand the specific pain points your sales teams are addressing before engaging in digital marketing. Talk with your sales team. Ask them about the most frequently asked questions they get about your company, and answer those questions in your marketing collateral.

… And On The Agency Side

This is why I endorse digital agencies that charge for proposals, as well as clients willing to pay for them. How can you provide a valuable proposal without clearly understanding how your proposed efforts will impact the client’s bottom line or specific need?

Most of the time, the amount of work required to find these answers goes beyond a free proposal. This is why companies are getting burned, and it’s having a negative impact on the industry. Hubspot reports that 57% of agencies win less than 50% of the proposals being sent out. How many proposals are getting accepted that have no chance of being successful because they are being slapped together for free, resulting in not only wasted time but also diminishing confidence in digital marketing? Take part in paid engagements that include a discovery process to come up with the best proposal.

We have been practicing a process for a few years now that shifts the value of working with businesses — from delivering work to clients to delivering value to clients. This process includes, in many cases, a paid engagement at the beginning, where we sit down and uncover specific needs of their business.

If you decide to go this route, I can tell you from experience that some don’t like this approach, and think of it simply as you charging for a proposal, which isn’t necessarily true. This should be an opportunity for you and the client to clearly define what you both wish to achieve from paid marketing efforts and how to do it. This approach allows agencies to work with clients on a smaller project before singing them on for a long-term agreement. This also allows both parties to work together on a smaller scope to evaluate how you work together. This could also be an opportunity for you to help the client better understand digital.

Digital isn’t a campaign. Instead of starting the digital conversation around what mediums should be used and what type of content should be created or promoted, think about the specific pain points your customers have. Then, prove that you are the best solution. In my opinion, this should be started under a paid engagement; it’s too much work not to be. There is no value on a free proposal, even if it is accepted.

Diners can instantly define protein power players at the breakfast table: eggs, cheese, meat, yogurt and milk. An unexpected breakfast protein punch is coming from a familiar source taking their seat at the table. Sometimes, the familiar favorites just need a new light shone on them. On January 9, Einstein Bros. launched their Power of the Bagel campaign focusing on surprising protein levels in bagels. Harnessing the power of bagel protein from the Einstein Bros. menu means that diners get at least 9 grams of protein with each bagel order.

As the nation’s leading bagel house, Einstein Bros. wasn’t content to stop with just 9 grams of protein; twelve of their menu’s bagels have 10 grams of protein or more. By launching the Power of the Bagel campaign, Einstein Bros. goal is to re-introduce diners to bagels as a surprisingly nutritious breakfast option. What’s more, folks can get a free bagel with purchase by visiting the POTB site and taking a Protein IQ Test.

“Breakfast provides essential nutrients and it’s important to be sure your first meal includes protein,” says registered dietitian Kelly Springer, MS, RD, CDN. “Fortunately, you don’t have to search hard to do so. Some of your favorite breakfast items, like bagels, have more protein than most people realize.”

Power Protein BagelEinstein Bros. Bagels

How does the protein in a bagel compare to other breakfast options? One bagel contains as much or more protein than a large egg, three slices of turkey, two tablespoons of creamy peanut butter, or one cup of two percent milk. The most popular Einstein Bros. bagel is the simplest, the Plain Bagel. However, that plain bagel is far from plain in protein; it contains 9 grams of protein, more than the 7 grams of protein in a large egg. Diners looking for bagels with even more flavor can choose an Everything or Blueberry Bagel, both with 9 grams of protein as well, topping the 7 grams of protein in 1.5 ounces of sliced turkey or 8 grams in a cup of non-fat vanilla yogurt. A gluten-free bagel may not be on the menu. However, the Potato Flour Bagel comes in with the same 9 grams of protein in a vegan format.

 Daimler Financial Services benefits from customer-centric value proposition and new opportunities for mobility services.

– Mobility Services division realizes double-digit growth in 2018 for number of customers (31 million) and transactions (186+ million), due to growing global demand and broad suite of services.

– Benedikt Schell, Chief Experience Officer and Member of the Board of Management at Daimler Financial Services at CES 2019: “Customers choose their preferences within our mobility ecosystem; our unique portfolio of products and services are their trusted companion on the journey.”

LAS VEGAS and STUTTGART, Germany, Jan. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — During the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Benedikt Schell, Chief Experience Officer and Member of the Board of Management at Daimler Financial Services, demonstrated how Daimler AG and its portfolio of products and on-demand-services is able to help shape cities today through predictive mobility.