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2026 Tax Filing Season Begins January 26: What You Should Know

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Hive check-in: Let’s dive into today’s narrative. The IRS officially kicks off the 2026 tax filing season on Monday, January 26, 2026, when it begins accepting and processing 2025 federal tax returns. The deadline to file and pay any taxes owed is April 15, 2026. This tax season looks very different thanks to the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” (OBBB) passed in July 2025, which introduced several new deductions and filing changes that could put more money back in taxpayers’ pockets. What’s New for 2026 Many of the new deductions created by OBBB can be claimed using the new Schedule 1-A form. Highlights include: Tip income deduction: Eligible workers in tipped occupations can deduct up to $25,000, depending on income limits. Overtime pay deduction: A portion of qualified overtime pay is now deductible, capped at $12,500 for single filers and $25,000 for joint filers, with income phaseouts. Senior deduction: Taxpayers 65 and older may qualify for an additional deduction of up to $...
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Exploring Life, Stories, and Everything In Between.

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Hive check-in: Let’s dive into today’s narrative. It’s January 2, 2026, and the year has already made itself known. Not with fireworks or dramatic announcements—but with movement. Headlines still rolling in. Conversations still unfolding. Life still happening in real time. A new year doesn’t pause the world. It simply turns the page. As we step into 2026, I’m not interested in rushing to define what this year should be. Instead, I’m paying attention to what it is. The global pulse. The local shifts. The stories that don’t always make the loudest noise but still deserve space to be acknowledged. This past year reminded many of us that change can be subtle and sudden at the same time. Communities evolve. Narratives shift. Truth often sits somewhere between what’s reported and what’s experienced. Here at The Narrative Hive, this space remains rooted in observation, of people, patterns, and moments that shape how we move through the world. Some stories will be heavy. Some will ...
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December: The Month That Makes You Sit With Yourself

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Hive check-in: Let’s dive into today’s narrative. December always arrives with a different kind of weight. Not heavy in a painful way, more like a quiet, steady reminder that another year is preparing to close its eyes. And whether you feel ready or not, this month always asks the same question: “So… how did you really grow?” There’s something about the final month of the year that forces you into reflection. Not the Instagram version. Not the polished summary. I’m talking about the real kind — the kind you feel in your chest. In December, the world slows down just enough for your thoughts to catch up with you. The noise softens. The distractions loosen their grip. And suddenly, you're face-to-face with yourself: the person you were in January, the one you tried to become in June, and the one you’re finally accepting in December. This month has a habit of exposing everything you avoided, everything you overcame, and everything you outgrew. The Lessons Hit Different in D...
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Last Retrograde of the Year: Heavy, Real, and Inescapable

Hive check-in: Let’s dive into today’s narrative. I know I’m late with this one, but honestly? This retrograde deserves all the time in the world. It’s not your usual “oops, emails got lost” kind of energy. Nope. This is the final retrograde of 2025, and it’s hitting harder than I expected. Mercury went retrograde on November 9 in Sagittarius and will finally station direct in Scorpio on November 29. What does that mean? Communication gets messy, sure, but this one digs deeper. It’s forcing us to confront truths we’ve been avoiding, conversations we left unfinished, and emotions we shoved aside. Why This Feels So Heavy Old stuff resurfaces: You thought it was done. You thought it was over. Surprise, it’s not. Decisions loom: You’re being pushed to act, speak, or finally face what you’ve been running from. Karma checks in: With Saturn and Mercury doing their thing, the universe is reviewing your year. What worked? What didn’t? What do you want to carry forward? Transformation mode: This...
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Chicago Christmas Tree Lighting Shooting

Hive check-in: Let’s dive into today’s narrative. So this one’s wild. Chicago just had its official Christmas tree lighting in Millennium Park, full of families, lights, music, fireworks,  all the festive vibes. And then… gunshots. (fox32chicago.com) Reports say at least five people were shot, one critically. It happened near State and Randolph Streets right after the tree was lit. Police swarmed the area, and there were hundreds of people in the Loop when it went down. (cbsnews.com) Why this hits differently: A holiday celebration, supposed to be joyful, ended in chaos. Safety at public events is a serious concern — how do we prevent this? It’s a reminder: gun violence can invade moments we expect to be safe and magical. I know, the holidays are meant to be cheerful, but stories like this remind us to stay alert, look out for each other, and push for safer public spaces. Enjoy the lights, yes, but let’s also not ignore what’s happening around us. Thoughts? Were you downtown that n...
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The Mom and Son Attack in Chicago

Hive check-in: Let’s dive into today’s narrative. Okay, this one hit me hard. A few days ago in South Deering, Chicago, a mom and her 9-year-old son were just trying to walk home from school… and they got attacked by a group of kids. Yes, kids. A video went viral showing them being punched, dragged, and stomped. (fox32chicago.com) The mom, already dealing with sickle-cell disease, said she’s never felt pain like this before. Her son was hurt too. And get this,  she’d warned the school about her son being followed and bullied by older kids for two years. (abc7chicago.com) People around the neighborhood say this isn’t a one-time thing. The same group of kids allegedly terrorized other families for months. (cbsnews.com) Why this matters: Walking home should feel safe. Clearly, it didn’t. Kids being violent isn’t “just kids being kids” when it escalates like this. Schools and authorities need to step up. The mom tried warning them for years. This story makes you pause. How do we protec...
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🍂 November Reflections: Gratitude, Awareness, and the Beauty of Becoming

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Hive check-in: Let’s dive into today’s narrative. Somehow, we’ve made it to November the month that always feels like a quiet exhale. The year’s final chapters are unfolding, and even though I missed the official “welcome to the new month” on the first, I’m showing up now, with intention. That counts too. November holds space for a lot of things — gratitude, reflection, awareness, and for many of us, growth. It’s National Gratitude Month, which couldn’t come at a better time. As the air gets cooler and the days shorter, I find myself slowing down to really take stock of what’s around me. Not just what I have, but what I’ve learned, who I’ve become, and how far I’ve come since January. This month also shines a light on Native American Heritage, a time to honor the stories, wisdom, and resilience of Indigenous peoples — voices that continue to shape our world with depth and authenticity. It’s also a moment to acknowledge other vital observances like Family Caregivers Month, D...
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