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Mr. Penny Pincher: The Best Gifts are Free

22Dec

By Grace ThompsonNo Comments

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Mr. Penny Pincher: The Best Gifts are Free

I was old enough to recall how different stores would send catalogs to your home just in time for the holidays. I would keep looking in the electronics and toys department, hoping to see what Santa would bring me. Budget-wise, both the newest Sony Walkman and a huge stuffed dog were nearly always out of reach. Even though I had some knowledge of this, it was still enjoyable to fantasize. Our perception of the ideal present evolves with age. Additionally, the idea that presents can only be received on a single day of the year is rejected. A gift could be as simple as a hug from a loved one or a grin from a stranger on a bad day, depending on your age, health, and overall perspective. Both would have been unimportant in childhood, but as adults, they have a big impact. Many folks desire the ...

Elon Musk courts Europe’s surging far right

22Dec

By Grace ThompsonNo Comments

News

Elon Musk courts Europe’s surging far right

London Following far-right leader Nigel Farages' suggestion that Elon Musk donate to his once fringe right-wing party, lawmakers in the UK are debating whether to expedite legislation intended to prevent foreign meddling in national elections. This is the richest man in the world showing off his newly acquired political power. Governments on both sides of the Atlantic are being forced to deal with Musk's increasing political and cultural influence. What started out as a tech tycoon ranting against political correctness in the United States has turned into what seems to be a global campaign of support for far-right policies. After meeting Musk at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home last week, Farage told the BBC that his Reform UK party was still in talks with Musk. Musk, a U.S. citizen who wa...

Creators on TikTok aim to help people navigate the holidays on a budget

22Dec

By Grace ThompsonNo Comments

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Creators on TikTok aim to help people navigate the holidays on a budget

Amanda Maze, a home health nurse and mother from Kentucky, once took out loans to buy Christmas presents for her family. She claims that this decision led to a vicious cycle of debt and year-round payments. Her half-million TikTok fans are now learning that the holidays may truly be priceless, or at least very close to it. Maze provides an alternative to an otherwise extravagant holiday season by discussing her personal experience budgeting gifts for her and her fiancé's five children and finding festive décor from charity stores. Maze stated, "I believe my goal is simply to help people understand that things in life are only temporary." You are not required to have such a materialistic existence. She is one of a few TikTok creators who have increased their budgeting-related content aroun...

22Dec

By Grace ThompsonNo Comments

News

Bluesky’s growing pains

Among the challenges facing the fledgling social media network Bluesky are government censorship, fake accounts, celebrity imitation, misinformation, and a user revolt over a journalist who was accused of denigrating trans people. However, they also demonstrate how quickly it has grown after the election. Bluesky is paying the price of success as it draws more users, especially from those escaping Elon Musk's X: difficult moderation choices and an increase in malicious actors. ClearSky, an analytics site, reports that about 25 million people have registered for the platform. Even if that figure still represents a small portion of X's user base, Bluesky's problems and conflicts are becoming more well known, which is an indication of its growing cultural significance. User response against j...

22Dec

By Grace ThompsonNo Comments

News

Bluesky’s growing pains

Among the challenges facing the fledgling social media network Bluesky are government censorship, fake accounts, celebrity imitation, misinformation, and a user revolt over a journalist who was accused of denigrating trans people. However, they also demonstrate how quickly it has grown after the election. Bluesky is paying the price of success as it draws more users, especially from those escaping Elon Musk's X: difficult moderation choices and an increase in malicious actors. ClearSky, an analytics site, reports that about 25 million people have registered for the platform. Even if that figure still represents a small portion of X's user base, Bluesky's problems and conflicts are becoming more well known, which is an indication of its growing cultural significance. User response against j...

The year of newly minted Indian American GOP stars

22Dec

By Grace ThompsonNo Comments

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The year of newly minted Indian American GOP stars

A sizable contingent of young Indian American celebrities may flank President-elect Donald Trump when he returns to the White House in January. They include Vivek Ramaswamy, who will co-lead a new nongovernmental initiative with Elon Musk called the Department of Government Efficiency, and Kash Patel, who, if confirmed, may become Trump's FBI director. Jay Bhattacharya and Harmeet Dhillon, who have more subdued public receptions, are preparing for possible important positions at the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Justice, respectively. Additionally, Usha Vance, the wife of Vice President-elect JD Vance, will be the first South Asian American to hold the position of second lady. On the president-elect's recently announced team, these Indian Americans are arguably the mo...

Young adults are keeping themselves on their holiday gift lists

22Dec

By Grace ThompsonNo Comments

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Young adults are keeping themselves on their holiday gift lists

Young people are not excluding themselves from the gift-giving season. According to analysts at the consulting firm Deloitte, nearly half of Gen Z (47%) and millennial (43%) customers intend to purchase gifts for themselves this Christmas season. That is far more than the 15% of baby boomers and 27% of Gen-Xers who intend to follow suit. This year's holiday gift-buying has become value-driven, and businesses are dangling sales and promotions to draw in more economical customers, including those who are reconsidering treating themselves. However, Gen Z consumers deviated from other age groups to increase their self-gifting plans over the hectic Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales weekend, rising from 65% last year to 69% this year, according to Deloitte. Some of the most popular categories ...

Faith-based cost-sharing seemed like an alternative to health insurance, until the childbirth bills arrived

22Dec

By Grace ThompsonNo Comments

News

Faith-based cost-sharing seemed like an alternative to health insurance, until the childbirth bills arrived

ARDEN, North Carolina. When Rachel Kaplan became pregnant last year, she had no insurance. As a result, her physician recommended Sedera, a nonprofit organization that markets itself as a medical cost-sharing program. Members of Sedera pay monthly dues that are combined and used by the organization to pay for members' medical expenses. Although Sedera is not governed by the same laws as health insurance, the model is fairly similar. According to Kaplan, it appeared straightforward enough that we thought, "Okay, this makes sense," but when I attempted to submit the hospital bill, we were turned down. Following the birth of their baby, Lucas, in August 2023, she and her husband, Andrew Sheffield, contacted Sedera to request payment. An inducement, forty hours of labor, and a cesarean secti...

German Christmas market attack suspect remanded in custody

22Dec

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German Christmas market attack suspect remanded in custody

Remanded into jail is Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a 50-year-old Saudi Arabian physician who is suspected of driving into a Magdeburg, Germany, Christmas market and killing four ladies and a nine-year-old boy. As information about the attack and his potential motivations becomes available, he appears before a court on Saturday night. Authorities stated that the suspect's first name was Taleb, but they are not allowed to reveal his full name due to German privacy rules. Al-Abdulmohsen's full name was verified to NBC News by two senior U.S. officials with knowledge of the situation. A black BMW crashed through the busy market on Friday, injuring more than 200 people, with roughly 40 of them in critical condition. A 9-year-old kid and four ladies, ages 52, 45, 67, and 75, are the casualties. At a ne...

2 U.S. Navy pilots eject to safety after friendly fire downs their fighter jet

22Dec

By Grace ThompsonNo Comments

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2 U.S. Navy pilots eject to safety after friendly fire downs their fighter jet

According to U.S. Central Command, two U.S. Navy pilots were safely ejected over the Red Sea on Sunday after their F/A-18 fighter jet was shot down by what seemed to be friendly fire. According to a statement from CENTCOM, the F/A-18 was shot down while it was departing from the USS Harry S. Truman. According to CENTCOM, one of the pilots might have suffered minor injuries during the ejection. According to the statement, the F/A-18 was accidentally struck by a guided missile cruiser, USS Gettysburg, which was a member of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group in the area. CENTCOM also stated that a thorough investigation is in progress. The precise purpose of the fighter was not disclosed by officials. The apparent mishap occurred Sunday morning in the area between Africa and the Mid...