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 Operating Costs for Gasoline vs. Electric Cars
A new study out of the University of Michigan's Sustainable Worldwide Transportation group shows just how cost-effective electric vehicles are, and how fuel efficient an internal combustion engine car needs to be to be the cheaper alternative.
This study was designed to examine the variation across the individual U.S. states in the relative fuel cost of driving battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and gasoline vehicles. Also of interest was the state-by-state variation in the fuel economy that gasoline vehicles would have to exceed to make driving them less expensive than driving BEVs.
The following are the main findings:
(1) The current average annual cost of driving a typical new gasoline vehicle in the United States is $1,117, with a maximum of $1,509 in Hawaii and a minimum of $993 in Alabama.
(2) The current average annual cost of driving a typical new BEV in the United States is $485, with a maximum of $1,106 in Hawaii and a minimum of $367 in Louisiana.
(3) The ratio of the current average costs of driving a typical gasoline vehicle and a typical BEV in the United States is 2.3, with a maximum of 3.6 in Washington and a minimum of 1.4 in Hawaii.
(4) The required fuel economy that gasoline vehicles would need to exceed for driving them to be less expensive than driving BEVs is 57.6 mpg in the United States, with a maximum of 90.0 mpg in Washington and a minimum of 34.1 mpg in Hawaii.
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Protecting Your Networks from Ransomware
Justice Department
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What is Ransomware?
* * *
Ransomware is a form of malware that targets
your critical data and systems for the purpose of extortion.
Ransomware is frequently delivered through spearphishing emails.
After the user has been locked out of the data or system, the
cyber actor demands a ransom payment. After receiving payment,
the cyber actor will purportedly provide an avenue to the victim
to regain access to the system or data. Recent iterations target
enterprise end users, making awareness and training a critical
preventive measure. |
Ransomware is the fastest growing malware threat, targeting users of all types-from the home user to the corporate network. On average, more than 4,000 ransomware attacks have occurred daily since January 1, 2016.
This is a 300-percent increase over the approximately 1,000 attacks per day seen in 2015.
There are very effective prevention and response actions that can significantly mitigate the risk posed to your organization.
Ransomware targets home users, businesses, and government networks and can lead to temporary or permanent loss of sensitive or proprietary information, disruption to regular operations, financial losses incurred to restore systems and files, and potential harm to an organization's reputation.
Ransomware may direct a user to click on a link to pay a
ransom; however, the link may be malicious and could lead to
additional malware infections. Some ransomware variants
display intimidating messages, such as:
- "Your computer was used to visit websites with illegal content. To unlock your computer, you must
pay a $100 fine."
- "You only have 96 hours to submit the payment. If
you do not send money within provided time, all
your files will be permanently encrypted and no one
will be able to recover them."
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 Losing Weight: Questions for the doctor
From healthfinder.gov
If you are an adult who needs to lose weight, it can be challenging. Talk to your doctor or nurse about how to lose weight in a healthy way that's right for you.
Under the Affordable Care Act, the health care reform act passed in 2010, insurance plans must cover screening and counseling for obesity for adults. Depending on your insurance, you may be able to get these services at no cost to you. Talk to your insurance company to learn more.
What do I ask the doctor?
It helps to write down questions for the doctor or nurse ahead of time. Print out this list of questions and take it to your appointment with a pen or pencil for taking notes.You may also want to ask a family member or close friend to go with you.
- How does my weight affect my health?
- Do I have a health problem that is causing me to be overweight?
- How will losing weight help me?
- What is a healthy weight for me?
- How much weight do I need to lose?
- How long should it take me to lose weight?
- What are healthy ways to lose weight and keep it off?
- How can I change my eating habits?
- What kinds of physical activity do I need to do?
- Are there any kinds of physical activity I need to avoid because of my health conditions?
- Could a weight-loss program help me?
- What type of weight-loss program would you recommend for me?
Add your own questions after learning how to watch your weight.
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Renew Memberships Online
At the request of our members, RAUS is pleased to provide the ability to renew their membership online and pay by credit or debit card. Just go to our website at www.raushome.com and click on the Online Dues Renewal button.
If you are considering converting to a Lifetime Membership, click on the Membership button and select Life Membership.
 
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 Keep Us Accurate
To be sure your benefits are properly recorded, please advise the association when you change your name or address. If you receive inaccurate membership cards or other correspondence, we want to know. We do not mind reissuing membership cards. |
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Hijacked Computer: What to Do
From Federal Trade Commission
You can't turn your computer on or off. It's acting up, running slow, opening pages you didn't click, displaying pop-ups constantly. There's a good chance your computer's been hacked or infected with a virus and needs your help.
Stop shopping, banking, and entering passwords online until your computer is cleaned and restored. It's inconvenient to be sure, but it's a necessary step to prevent the situation going from bad to worse, from hack to horrible.
Update your security software. Install a new version from a reputable company. You can use your phone or another computer to check reviews of security software. Tech blogs and retail sites usually post them.
Choose carefully. Scammers sometimes advertise security software that's malware in disguise. Make your decision, get back online, and download the software. If the security software finds malware, it flags it for you. Delete the suspicious files and restart your computer. If you're still having problems, contact your computer manufacturer or other tech support and find out what else you can do.
Once your computer is back to normal, change the password you've been using for your bank accounts, your email accounts, and all your other important accounts. The safest route is to choose and use passwords that have upper and lowercase letters as well as numbers and symbols.
And finally, make sure your operating system and internet browser are set to update automatically. You want to keep your computer operating at peak performance. Visit onguardonline.gov to learn more.
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 Identity Theft Protection Service For RAUS Members
AllClear ID is the technology leader in the identity protection and credit monitoring market. The patented identity protection technology developed by AllClear ID makes it simple for you to protect your identity, and easy to take action if your personal information is compromised. RAUS members will enjoy a 20% discount off the regular monthly rate.
Just go to our website at www.raushome.com and click on the
Technology & Security button and select Discounts. From there, go to the AllClear ID login page and input the following Activation Code: "raus". This will allow you to register and receive the discounted rate.
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Membership Dues
| AGE RANGE | LIFE DUES | | 40 or less | $325 | | 41 to 45 | $300 | | 46 to 50 | $275 | | 51 to 55 | $250 | | 56 to 60 | $225 | | 61 to 65 | $200 | | 66 to 70 | $175 | | 70 and up | $100 |
 Annual dues are $15 per year. Discounts apply for multiple year memberships: 3 years for $37 and 5 years for $60. Like memberships are available based on the age of the member at the time of the Life conversion. A Life Membership is exempt of dues increase and covers both the member and the spouse. |
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About RAUS
We are a non-political military association organized in 1970 to secure quality benefits for our members at rates only available to groups. Qualified retired and active members of the United States armed forces and related departments may join.
Membership benefits include discounts and perks, self-help and financial calculators, time-savings and educational resources, along with TRICARE Supplement, CHAMPVA Supplement and other insurance products.
RAUS is partnering with other organizations to establish a long term win-win relationship based on mutual benefits and information available to military families.
RAUS Eligible Defense Departments
* AIR FORCE * ARMY * MARINES * NAVY * NATIONAL GUARD *
* COAST GUARD * NOAA * CIVIL AIR PATROL *
* PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE * COASTAL & GEODETIC SURVEY *
* ACTIVE & RETIRED * OFFICERS & ENLISTED *
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Sincerely,
DONALD T. RUCK, President Retired Association for the Uniformed Services, Inc. Back To Top |
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