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Skilled trades are becoming a first choice, not a backup plan

• More kids are eyeing the trades: Seven in 10 Gen Alpha children familiar with skilled trades say they'd consider a blue-collar career.

• Demand remains strong: Electricians, plumbers, welders, and HVAC technicians can earn solid pay without taking on major student debt.

• Explore careers early: Summer camps, apprenticeships, trade schools, and job-shadowing can help students find the right path.

For decades, many parents viewed a four-year college degree as the default path to success. But a new survey suggests today's kids may have different ideas.

The survey, commissioned by Red Wing Shoes, found that 70% of Gen Alpha children who are familiar with blue-collar careers say they would like to work in the trades when they grow up. The research also found that 85% of kids are interested in hands-on work, while 70% of parents would support a child pursuing a trade career.

Popular career choices included construction worker, electrician, welder, carpenter, and firefighter.

The findings arrive as many employers struggle to find enough skilled workers. Electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, welders, and other tradespeople remain in high demand across the country, often earning competitive wages without taking on significant student loan debt.

To help turn that interest into action, Red Wing launched its new "Big Boots to Fill" campaign and partnered with the Heavy Metal Summer Experience, which offers free hands-on camps that introduce high school students to careers in the skilled trades.

Why parents should pay attention

Trade careers aren't just alternatives to college anymore. Many offer paid apprenticeships, steady demand, opportunities to start a business, and salaries that can rival or exceed those of some degree-required professions.

Here are some actionable ways to explore the trades:

• Visit a local trade school: Many vocational schools host open houses where students can tour workshops, try equipment, and talk with instructors.

• Look for summer programs: Hands-on camps focused on welding, construction, robotics, automotive repair, and electrical work can help kids discover what they enjoy before making career decisions. Also, community colleges often offer low-cost introductory trade classes that can help students test-drive a career path.

• Start with simple DIY projects: Building a bookshelf, repairing a bicycle, changing vehicle fluids, or helping with home improvement projects can expose kids to valuable skills.

• Job-shadow a tradesperson: Many local contractors, electricians, plumbers, and mechanics are willing to let students observe a workday to learn what the job is really like.

• Research apprenticeship programs: Unlike many college programs, apprenticeships often pay participants while they learn. Ask local unions about apprenticeship opportunities for high school juniors and seniors.

• Explore earnings before choosing a path: The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows many skilled trades offer salaries well above the national median wage, especially after gaining experience or starting a business.

If this is something that interests you, don't wait until after graduation. For parents who have kids that are interested in the trades, the same advice applies: act now! Many students can begin exploring trade careers as early as middle school through clubs, shop classes, and summer programs.

Related: Home Depot's Path to Pro program is another resource worth exploring, as it offers students and job seekers free access to training, apprenticeships, and connections to employers looking for skilled workers.

New research links daytime drowsiness and trouble falling asleep to blood pressure risk

• People with excessive daytime sleepiness were more likely to have high blood pressure than those without daytime sleepiness.

• The highest risk was seen in people who were both excessively sleepy during the day and took at least 30 minutes to fall asleep at night.

• Researchers say evaluating both daytime sleepiness and nighttime sleep difficulties may help identify people at greater cardiovascular risk.

Most people expect to feel a little sluggish after a poor night's sleep. But new research suggests that daytime drowsiness especially when it's paired with difficulty falling asleep at night may also be linked to a greater likelihood of high blood pressure.

Researchers from Penn State College of Medicine found that adults who reported excessive daytime sleepiness had higher odds of both existing hypertension and developing hypertension over time. The connection became even stronger among people who also took at least 30 minutes to fall asleep during an overnight sleep study.

Adults with excessive daytime sleepiness and prolonged sleep-onset latency appeared to represent a distinct subgroup with significantly greater cardiovascular risk, lead author Dr. Alexandros Vgontzas said in a news release.

Neither excessive daytime sleepiness on its own, nor prolonged sleep latency on its own, showed the same increased risk of hypertension.

How the study was conducted

The researchers analyzed data from 1,741 adults enrolled in the Penn State Adult Cohort. Every participant completed an eight-hour overnight sleep study, known as polysomnography, which objectively measured their sleep.

Excessive daytime sleepiness was identified through self-reports of moderate to severe daytime sleepiness or irresistible sleep attacks. Researchers also measured how long it took participants to fall asleep, defining prolonged sleep-onset latency as taking 30 minutes or longer to drift off.

To examine the development of high blood pressure over time, the team followed 786 participants who did not have hypertension at the beginning of the study for an average of 7.5 years.

The analyses accounted for numerous factors that could influence blood pressure, including age, sex, body mass index, race and ethnicity, smoking, caffeine and alcohol use, diabetes, depression, sleep apnea severity, total sleep time, and time spent awake after initially falling asleep.

What the findings mean

Compared with people who did not report excessive daytime sleepiness, those who did had 52% higher odds of already having hypertension and 74% higher odds of developing it during follow-up.

However, the greatest differences appeared when daytime sleepiness occurred alongside prolonged sleep-onset latency. In that group, the odds of existing hypertension were more than twice as high, while the odds of developing hypertension over time were more than three times higher.

According to the researchers, excessive daytime sleepiness combined with difficulty falling asleep may represent a distinct pattern that deserves closer attention during sleep evaluations.

They suggest that looking beyond sleep apnea alone and considering both daytime symptoms and nighttime sleep difficulties could help identify people who may have elevated cardiovascular risk and guide more targeted treatment approaches.

These findings suggest that evaluating excessive daytime sleepiness should extend beyond screening for sleep apnea alone, Dr. Vgontzas said. Assessing nighttime sleep difficulties and objective sleep measures such as prolonged sleep-onset latency may help identify patients with elevated cardiovascular risk and support more targeted treatment approaches.

Early diet may shape young brains in unexpected ways

• A new study found that children who ate more ultra-processed foods early in life had smaller volumes in several brain regions by age 6.

• Researchers did not find differences in the children's cognitive test performance despite the brain structure changes.

• The findings highlight a potential link between early diet and brain development, but they do not prove that ultra-processed foods directly caused the observed differences.

What young children eat may influence more than just their physical growth it could also be linked to how their brains develop.

A new study from researchers at Children's Hospital Los Angeles found that children who consumed more ultra-processed foods during infancy and early childhood had measurable differences in the size of several brain regions by age 6.

Ultra-processed foods are industrially manufactured products made with refined ingredients and additives designed to improve flavor, texture, or shelf life. Examples include some packaged baked goods, frozen meals, processed meats, and certain fast foods.

According to the researchers, these foods make up more than half of the calories consumed by many young children in the United States, making it important to better understand how they may affect early development.

Our findings suggest that what children eat early in life may shape brain development in ways were just beginning to understand, researcher Michael I. Goran, Ph.D., said in a news release.

Even without differences in cognitive performance, were seeing measurable changes in brain structure.

How the study was conducted

The study followed 144 Latino/Hispanic mother-child pairs from infancy through early childhood. Researchers collected detailed information about each child's diet at six months, 12 months, 24 months, and again at 72 months using repeated 24-hour dietary recalls.

When the children reached 6 years old, they underwent MRI scans so researchers could measure the size of several subcortical brain regions.

The children also completed age-appropriate cognitive assessments. Earlier evaluations measured language and motor skills, while later testing examined memory, attention, and processing speed. Throughout the study, researchers also tracked the children's height and weight.

What the findings mean

The researchers found that children with higher cumulative intake of ultra-processed foods had smaller volumes in several subcortical brain regions, including areas involved in reward, emotion, and motivation.

Specifically, every 10% increase in ultra-processed food intake was associated with nearly a 2% reduction in the volume of these brain structures.

Importantly, the study did not find differences in the children's cognitive performance. That means although researchers observed structural differences on brain scans, those changes were not reflected in the cognitive tests the children completed at age 6.

The authors say the findings suggest there may be a relationship between early dietary patterns and brain development, but more research is needed to determine exactly how these structural differences develop and whether they have any long-term effects.

Because this was an observational study, it cannot show that ultra-processed foods directly caused the brain differences. Future research will explore whether there are critical periods when diet has the greatest influence and what biological mechanisms may be involved.

We still have much to learn about how early dietary exposures influence the developing brain, Dr. Goran said. Identifying the underlying mechanisms will be important for understanding what these findings mean for long-term health.

Three name-brand drugs are covered starting July 1

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Medicare will begin covering certain GLP-1 weight-loss drugs on July 1 through a new temporary pilot program called the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge.

• Eligible beneficiaries will pay a flat $50 monthly copayment for approved medications including Wegovy, Zepbound, and Foundayo.

• The demonstration, scheduled to run through the end of 2027, marks the first time Medicare has broadly provided coverage for obesity medications prescribed specifically for weight loss.

Beginning July 1, millions of Medicare beneficiaries will have access to popular GLP-1 weight-loss medications under a new federal demonstration program that dramatically reduces the cost of the drugs for eligible seniors.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is launching the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, a temporary pilot program that will provide qualifying Medicare Part D beneficiaries with certain GLP-1 medications for a flat $50 monthly copayment through Dec. 31, 2027.

The initiative represents a significant shift in Medicare policy. Until now, Medicare generally covered GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy and Zepbound only when prescribed for conditions such as Type 2 diabetes or certain cardiovascular diseases not for obesity alone, because federal law excludes coverage of drugs used solely for weight loss.

CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz called the medications "a major medical advancement" when announcing the program, saying too many older Americans have been unable to afford them because of their high cost.

Who qualifies

The new program is available to eligible Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Part D prescription drug coverage who meet specific medical criteria and obtain prior authorization.

According to CMS, the program covers three medications:

• Wegovy (injectable and oral forms)

• Zepbound (KwikPen formulation)

• Foundayo (oral tablet)

The medications are intended for patients who meet body mass index (BMI) requirements and other clinical eligibility standards established by CMS.

A temporary demonstration

Unlike traditional Medicare drug coverage, the GLP-1 Bridge operates outside the normal Part D benefit. CMS is using a centralized system to process prior authorizations, pharmacy claims, and payments, allowing beneficiaries to access the medications regardless of which Part D plan they have.

The agency says the demonstration is designed to test a new approach to expanding access to obesity treatments while gathering data on costs, utilization, and health outcomes before considering longer-term policy changes.

GLP-1 medications have become some of the most sought-after prescription drugs in recent years because clinical trials have shown they can produce substantial weight loss while also improving health outcomes for many patients with obesity.

However, physicians caution that older adults require careful monitoring. Side effects can include gastrointestinal problems, and experts warn that seniors may face increased risks of muscle loss, frailty, and malnutrition if treatment is not paired with adequate nutrition and physical activity.

Healthcare providers also emphasize that the medications are most effective when combined with lifestyle changes, including improved diet and regular exercise.