Fountain Valley – October 28, 2026 -- Patients in Orange County and Long Beach now have three MemorialCare hospitals ranked among America's 100 Best Hospitals by Healthgrades, with top marks in gastrointestinal care, gastrointestinal surgery and prostate surgery.

Saddleback Medical Center, Orange Coast Medical Center and Long Beach Medical Center also earned five-star ratings in seven specialties: cardiac, critical care, gastrointestinal, neurosciences (including stroke), orthopedics, prostate surgery and pulmonary care.

Saddleback leads with GI honors for the sixth straight year

Saddleback was named among the 100 Best for Gastrointestinal Care for the sixth consecutive year and for Gastrointestinal Surgery for the third. It ranks among the top 5% nationally for overall GI services and GI surgery, and among the top 10% for GI medical treatment. Within California, it ranks No. 4 for Gastrointestinal Care and No. 5 for Gastrointestinal Surgery.

FORT WORTH, Texas – October 28, 2026 -- Justin Boots has released five new colorways of its Ada boot, giving shoppers more ways to wear a silhouette from the Justin Vintage collection. The shape stays the same, and only the color options are new.

The Ada keeps its classic shape in five new colors

The new colorways expand the Justin Vintage collection. Justin Boots says it kept the distinctive shape and vintage-inspired look of the original design.

The brand pitches the boot as flexible enough for everyday denim or a dressed-up Western outfit.

A designer from the original run led the update

Shelbi Tidwell, director of product development for Justin Brands, worked on the original Ada colorways. She said the goal was to introduce "fresh, vibrant colors" that give the boot a new feel while keeping the look that made it a favorite.

Lake Wales – October 28, 2026 -- Century Complete will release new homes at Belle Lago in Lake Wales, Florida, in mid-November 2026, with prices starting in the low $300s and a limited number of lakeview homesites.

Seven floor plans range from 1,666 to 2,467 square feet

The community has 85 single-family homesites and seven one- and two-story plans. Homes have 4 to 5 bedrooms, 2 to 3.5 bathrooms and 2- to 3-car garages. Open-concept layouts are standard, and select plans add studies, gamerooms, flex rooms and covered patios.

The Biscayne and Bayberry plans include 3-car garages for extra storage and flexibility. Standard features include quartz countertops, LG stainless-steel appliances and Kohler fixtures.

Portland, Ore. – October 28, 2026 -- Outdoor brand Rumpl and beverage brand Liquid Death are releasing a limited-edition Body Bag Sleeping Bag and Dirt Nap Blanket on October 29, 2026, with prices from $130 to $250.

The Body Bag sleeping bag adds blanket-style freedom to a 20°F bag

The Body Bag is built on Rumpl's Wrap Sack 20° sleeping bag. It pairs the warmth of a traditional sleeping bag with the feel of sleeping under a blanket.

Its WrapAdapt layering system lets sleepers adjust their coverage during the night. NanoLoft insulation carries a 30°F comfort rating and a 20°F limit rating. The bag also has a roomy design, a built-in pillow pocket and a two-way zipper for comfort and ventilation. It is made with recycled materials and packs into an included stuff sack.

Revere – October 28, 2026 -- If a drain backs up again within days or weeks of a professional cleaning, the problem is probably deeper in the main sewer line than the clog that was removed. That is the message of a HelloNation article featuring Mark Meads, a Sewer and Drain Expert from Revere, Massachusetts.

Standard cleaning clears the surface, not the cause

Drain cleaning removes grease, hair, soap residue, and food debris near the surface of the pipe. When a backup returns quickly, the article explains, the cleared obstruction was likely a symptom of a condition further into the drainage system.

Two backed-up fixtures point to the main line

The main sewer line carries wastewater from every fixture in the home to the municipal sewer connection or a septic system. Backups in two or more fixtures at the same time are a reliable sign that the problem sits in the main line, not in a single branch drain.

CHICAGO – October 28, 2026 -- A registered dental hygienist with more than one million followers has named her picks for the best electric toothbrush, water flosser, floss picks, interdental brush and sensitive toothpaste. Whitney DiFoggio, known online as Teeth Talk Girl, announced the winners of the inaugural Smile Brighter Awards.

Winners were revealed at a virtual Dental Hygiene Month event

DiFoggio unveiled the winners during the annual Dental Hygiene Month Party, a nationwide virtual event she hosts. Thousands of dental hygienists, dental assistants and other dental professionals attended.

She created the awards to help shoppers sort through a crowded oral care aisle. In her words: "Dentistry is never one-size-fits-all, and neither is the oral care aisle." Categories include electric toothbrushes, water flossers, traditional floss, interdental cleaners and toothpastes.

MILWAUKEE – October 28, 2026 -- Northwestern Mutual policyowners are in line for a record $10.4 billion dividend payout in 2027, the largest in the company's history and more than $1 billion above 2026.

It will be the 156th consecutive year the insurer returns value to its policyowners. Over the past four years, the annual payout is estimated to have grown by more than 50%, or about $3.5 billion.

Dividends can cover premiums, provide cash or boost policy values

Policyowners can use their dividends to help cover premiums, access cash, or increase policy values and benefits. About $8.9 billion of the 2027 payout, roughly 85%, goes to Whole Life Insurance policyowners. Most of them use it to buy paid-up additional insurance, which grows both the accumulated value and the death benefit of the policy.

Madison, Wisconsin – October 28, 2026 -- Delta Beer Lab, the Madison-area brewery at 167 E. Badger Road, will end regular operations on Sunday, Oct. 25, after nearly eight years in business.

Final week brings drag queen bingo, trivia and a makers market

The brewery will host several events in its last week of operations, including drag queen bingo, a trivia night and a makers market. Its final beer, Supernova West-Coast IPA, will serve as a tribute to the brewery's journey.

Owner blames post-pandemic costs for the closure

Owner Tim "Pio" Piotrowski said rising ingredient, supply and freight costs hit the business once the pandemic's initial effects began to subside. He also cited persistent inflation that has reduced consumer spending nationally and locally, while operating costs, including labor, kept climbing. "We have ultimately run out of resources," he said.

Ontario, California – October 28, 2026 -- More than 4 million tubes of toothpaste sold nationwide have been recalled, including several Brush Buddies children's varieties, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

Barbie, Hot Wheels and Crayola flavors are affected

The recalled Brush Buddies toothpastes carry Barbie, Hot Wheels, My Little Pony and Crayola branding. Certain lots of Evo advanced whitening and sensitive toothpaste are also included, as are lots of ARU gum health and cavity protection toothpaste.

All of the products were distributed by Ashtel Studios Inc. of Ontario, California. A full list of affected toothpastes and their lot numbers is in the recall's enforcement report.

The recall began Sept. 10 and became Class II on Oct. 22

The recall was first initiated on Sept. 10, 2026. Its certification was updated to a Class II recall on Oct. 22.

California – October 28, 2026 -- Anyone who bought Graziers raw milk cheese should not eat it: the FDA has given the recall its highest-risk Class I classification amid a multistate E. coli outbreak.

The warning covers every Graziers raw milk cheese from Sierra Nevada Cheese Company

The classification applies to all affected Graziers raw milk cheese products made by California-based Sierra Nevada Cheese Company. That includes the Monterey Jack, jalapeño jack, medium cheddar and sharp cheddar varieties.

Thirteen people in nine states have fallen ill

Investigators report that 13 people in nine states became sick. More than half of those infected were children age 5 and younger.

The cheeses were distributed in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, Oregon, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.