Author: Grace Thompson

Following Wednesday's $6.2 million sale of a single banana, grocery inflation just reached its highest point. The produce, which was duct-taped to a wall, cost cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun more than $6 million. The banana is a component of the artwork "Comedian," which was made by Maurizio Cattelan, an Italian humorist and artist. Naturally, Sun, the creator of cryptocurrency TRON, paid for the results of his efforts in the cryptocurrency world after competing against six other people for the artwork at a Sotheby's auction in New York City on Wednesday. In a statement on X, Sun stated, "I think this piece will inspire more thought and discussion in the future and will become a part of history." "I am honored to be the proud owner of this iconic work and look forward to it sparkin...

Around the holidays, I am frequently inundated with gifting queries in my role as tech reporter for NBC Select. Friends, relatives, and coworkers inquire about what to get their mother, father, brother, sister, uncle, cousin, or best friend. I want to purchase them a fitness tracker, but there's always a catch, like they already have a ton of Apple devices or they generally detest tech. Fortunately, over the years, I have evaluated and tested a wide range of computer items. I've included a range of tech and tech-related gifts in this guide that will appeal to each member of your list, be it your tech-hating dad or your gamer spouse who believes they have it all. SKIP AHEAD: Top-rated tech presents | Tech presents for housewives | Tech presents for vacationers | Tech presents for gamers | T...

According to official records of a police investigation unsealed in California on Wednesday night, a lady informed authorities that she had been sexually assaulted by a man she identified as Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary nominee of President-elect Donald Trump. According to documents made public by the Monterey Police Department, the lady, who is only known as "Jane Doe," first saw Hegseth in 2017 while he was speaking at an event held at a Monterey hotel. Hegseth denied any misconduct and was not charged. When Hegseth acknowledged paying an undisclosed sum as part of a settlement with his accuser, the accusations surfaced last weekend. The police report "confirms what I've said all along, that the incident was fully investigated and police found the allegation to be false, which is ...

I've had the good fortune to travel the world as the daughter of a pilot. I've used every kind of luggage imaginable and visited more than 30 countries. For instance, my preferred bag for a short vacation with friends is a little weekender bag. A larger, checked wheelie is ideal for longer trips, and a wheeled carry-on works in practically any circumstance. Since most of the terrain in Asia wasn't suitable for wheels, I discovered that carrying a duffel bag over my shoulder made the most sense. No matter what kind of travel I do, I've always liked to spend my money on experiences rather than stuffing it into my suitcase. Additionally, several of my favorite items are much under $150 and have endured over time. GO Ahead and SkipHow did I choose the best cheap luggage? | Best cheap luggage o...

Following a strong bomb cyclone that killed two people, took out electricity to half a million people at its height, and brought down trees and power lines, Washington state is in shock. However, this reprieve won't stay long because another storm is approaching. The storm, which erupted off the coast Tuesday, brought severe winds, rain, and heavy mountain snow to Washington, battering the Pacific Northwest. The severe weather caused confusion and road closures, left cities buried in white snow, caused extensive damage, and knocked off electricity to hundreds of thousands of people in Washington, which Puget Sound Energy described as a multi-day outage. According to PowerOutage.Us, more than 320,000 people in Washington were without power as of 10 a.m. ET on Thursday. The storm claimed th...

Even though Black Friday is less than two weeks away, you should start shopping now. If you don't seize a fantastic deal as soon as you see it, it may sell out because many merchants are already advertising their best pricing of the season. You may maximize your budget and spread out your spending by starting to shop Black Friday discounts now. I have five years of experience covering Cyber Monday and Black Friday at NBC Select, so I know how to spot deals that are truly worth checking out. The top early Black Friday offers of 2024 from some of our favorite stores, including Amazon, Target, Walmart, Home Depot, and REI, are compiled below. Every day before Black Friday, I'll update this list to include the best discounts, new bargains, and other promotions you won't want to pass up. GO Ahe...

Washington A supporter of Donald Trump who was one of the first rioters to enter the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, was found guilty of planning to murder FBI special agents who were looking into his crimes there. Edward Kelley was found guilty on Wednesday of three additional charges: conspiracy to murder U.S. employees; solicitation to commit a crime of violence; and influencing or retaliating against federal officials by threat. Kelley was previously convicted this month of assaulting law enforcement officers and other offenses during the Capitol attack. The trial for the murder plan began Monday in Knoxville, Tennessee. After only an hour of deliberation, the jury found Kelley guilty on all three counts, according to Knoxville's NBC News station WBIR. One month after being sentence...

Amazon's Black Friday discounts have officially begun. Significant discounts on kitchen appliances, beauty products, giftable technology, and more are available at the store from now until November 29. Many of these offers are valid through Cyber Monday. Amazon is now providing their best deals of the season (and many things at their lowest price ever), joining a number of other merchants. As an editor at NBC Select, I have been covering Cyber Monday and Black Friday sales for more than four years. I looked through sales that are currently worth purchasing on Amazon to uncover the greatest early Black Friday bargains. In the upcoming weeks, I'll regularly update this list with the latest prices and new offers. GO Ahead and SkipWhich early Black Friday Amazon bargains are the greatest? How ...

After a quiet summer, homebuyers were no longer on the fence in October due to a steep decline in mortgage rates. The National Association of Realtors reports that sales of previously owned homes increased 3.4% from September to a seasonally adjusted, annualized rate of 3.96 million units last month. For the first time in over three years, sales increased by 2.9% over October of the previous year. Since this number is based on contracts that have been signed, the majority of the transactions took place in August and September. The average rate on the widely used 30-year fixed mortgage was decreasing at the time. According to Mortgage News Daily, it began August at roughly 6.6% and fell to a low of 6.11% by the middle of September. According to a report from the NAR's chief economist, Lawre...

Due to prosecution concerns, the state's top court overturned the actor Jussie Smollett's 2019 conviction for fraudulently reporting a hate crime to Chicago police. The Illinois Supreme Court considered Smollett's case and decided on Thursday that the former "Empire" star shouldn't have been charged following his signing of a non-prosecution agreement with the Cook County State Attorney's Office. In 2022, Smollett was found guilty of five counts of felony disorderly conduct and given a sentence of 150 days in jail and 30 months of probation. Because he is Black and gay, the actor was viciously attacked in Chicago's Streeterville neighborhood, and he told authorities in January 2019 that he was the victim of a hate crime. Olabingo and Abimbola Osundairower, brothers who worked on the "Empir...