With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire for Journalists. Here are some of this week’s most newsworthy releases you might have missed. Members of the media can register for PR Newswire for Journalists at prnmedia.prnewswire.com. Customize your profile to get the news releases you want before they make headlines. It’s free and takes only a few moments to sign up.

Traffic Gridlock Sets New Records for Traveler Misery

America’s traffic congestion recession is over. Just as the U.S. economy has regained nearly all of the 9 million jobs lost during the downturn, a new report produced by INRIX and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) shows that traffic congestion has returned to pre-recession levels. According to the 2015 Urban Mobility Scorecard, travel delays due to traffic congestion caused drivers to waste more than 3 billion gallons of fuel and kept travelers stuck in their cars for nearly 7 billion extra hours – 42 hours per rush-hour commuter. The total nationwide price tag: $160 billion, or $960 per commuter. Washington D.C. tops the list of gridlock-plagued cities, with 82 hours of delay per commuter, followed by Los Angeles (80 hours), San Francisco (78 hours), New York (74 hours), and San Jose (67 hours). See the full release to learn more results and watch a video about the study.

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First Day Follies: More Than Half of Workers Have Experienced Mishaps When Starting a New Job

It’s important for new employees to make a good first impression, but many companies don’t realize they also need to put their best foot forward, recent research from staffing firm OfficeTeam suggests. More than half (54%) of workers interviewed said they’ve experienced at least one mishap when starting a new job. For one-third (33%) of those surveyed, their computer, phone or security access wasn’t properly set up when they arrived. Another 22% said necessary supplies were not provided at the outset. See the full release to see what other problems new employees have experienced.

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Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern Kicks Off Ninth Season With a Modern Twist on Classic Cultural Dishes

“Food is good, food with a story is even better and food with a story someone hasn’t heard about is best of all,” said Andrew Zimmern, the three-time James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef, food writer, and culinary explorer. For nearly 10 years, Zimmern has brought these stories to life in his Travel Channel series, Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern, which premieres its ninth season on Monday, Sept. 28 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. In eight all-new, hour-long episodes, Zimmern continues on his epic journey to illuminate the most unique foods from every corner of the globe. From roasted dormice in Croatia to calf’s head hot dogs in Paris, he is always eager to sample whatever the locals eat, elevating alternative cuisines and promoting global understanding in the process. See the full release to learn more about the new season.

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Four in Ten Americans Give President Obama Positive Ratings; One in Ten Say the Same of Congress

Positive ratings of President Obama’s overall job performance hit the four-in-ten mark this month (40%), not far from last month’s 39% and just shy of his recent peak of 41%, seen in May. This figure is up considerably, however, in comparison to where it sat in August of 2014 (32%). Forty percent (40%) of Americans also rate President Obama positively on the job he’s doing handling the economy; this continues an incremental rise over the past few months (vs. 36% in June and 38% in July) and puts this rating at its highest level since February (when it was also 40%). Moreover, it’s a full ten points ahead of where it was a year ago (30% in August 2014). See the full release to learn more about the poll.

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NOW That’s What I Call Music! Presents NOW Halloween!, the Spooktacular First-Ever Halloween Entry in the World’s Top-Selling Multi-Artist Album Series

NOW That’s What I Call Music!, the world’s best-selling multi-artist album series, is pleased to announce the upcoming release of NOW Halloween!, the NOW brand’s spooktacular first foray into the tricks and treats of Halloween-themed rock and pop music, ranging from TV (True Blood) and movie themes (Halloween, The Exorcist, Beetlejuice) to novelty smashes (“Monster Mash,” “Werewolves of London”) to radio perennials (“Season of the Witch,” “Don’t Fear the Reaper,” “I Put a Spell on You”). A spine-tingling collection of 18 bone-chilling hits, jams and instrumentals, NOW Halloween! will be available Friday, Sept. 11. See the full release to learn more about the album.

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Larry Grady is online content manager at PR Newswire for Journalists. He has worked in business media for nearly 30 years and enjoys reality TV and daydreaming about travel and wine.