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Credit card debt is climbing. Here's how to get rid of yours now.
We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. Credit card debt has been surging nationwide, with revolving debt, which includes credit cards, growing at a troubling annual rate of 9.4% in July, according to data released this month by the Federal Reserve. The total amount of credit card debt nationwide has also been increasing, with balances recently hitting a record high of $1.14 trillion. This comes at a time when serious payment delinquencies are also on the rise and about 20% of credit card users are maxed out. Further...
Which Amazon Kindle e-reader is best? How to choose
CBS Essentials is created independently of the CBS News editorial staff. We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. When it comes to e-readers, Amazon rules the roost, thanks to its popular Kindle devices, not to mention the world's largest e-book store. You get to read all your favorite books — from your favorite authors — in a thin and lightweight device with a glare-free display that lasts up to 10 hours before you need to recharge. The screen can be viewed in any lighting situation and...
Which Amazon Kindle e-reader is best? How to choose
CBS Essentials is created independently of the CBS News editorial staff. We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. When it comes to e-readers, Amazon rules the roost, thanks to its popular Kindle devices, not to mention the world's largest e-book store. You get to read all your favorite books — from your favorite authors — in a thin and lightweight device with a glare-free display that lasts up to 10 hours before you need to recharge. The screen can be viewed in any lighting situation and...
Is a CD still worth it now that the Fed has cut rates?
We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. The moment borrowers have been waiting for finally came to fruition on Wednesday when the Federal Reserve announced its first rate cut since 2020. Frozen at a range between 5.25% and 5.50% for more than a year — the highest in decades — the federal funds rate was lowered by half a percentage point to 4.75% to 5%. And it could fall even further this year with two more Fed meetings scheduled for November and December.While lenders don't follow...
Fed lowers rates by 0.50 percentage points, its first cut since 2020
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday said it is cutting its benchmark interest rate by 0.50 percentage points, marking the first reduction in four years and moving to ease borrowing costs as inflation-weary consumers are grappling with high rates on everything from mortgages to credit cards. The Fed said the cut lowers the federal funds rate into a range of 4.75% to 5%, down from its prior range of 5.25% to 5.5%, which had been its highest level in 23 years. The half-point move signals that the Fed is acting aggressively to keep the U.S. economy from stalling, given that historically most rate cuts...
NASA's "Hidden Figures" honored in Congressional Gold Medal ceremony
Washington — A group of Black women central to NASA's success during the space race and known as the "Hidden Figures" were honored Wednesday in a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony on Capitol Hill. "This has been a long time coming," House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said at the ceremony. "At a time in America when our nation was divided by color and often by gender, these women dared to step into the fields where they had previously been unwelcome." The "Hidden Figures" were considered crucial to NASA's work from 1930-1970. They were mathematicians and engineers who played a role in the...
The best patio heaters for cool fall nights
CBS Essentials is created independently of the CBS News editorial staff. We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. The cool fall nights to come are no reason to move the party inside. Invest in an outdoor patio heater to keep your outdoor festivities going all year long. We've vetted the most promising models from Walmart, Amazon and Wayfair to bring you options that are top-rated and ready to keep your patio toasty.When purchasing a heater, it's important to note its BTU rating. The higher the BTU...
Save big on Dewalt tools at Amazon ahead of October Prime Day
CBS Essentials is created independently of the CBS News editorial staff. We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. With fall on the horizon, now's the perfect time to buy new tools for your upcoming projects. Even better, Dewalt tools are currently discounted at Amazon ahead of the coming October Prime Day sale, also known as Prime Big Deal Days.Whether you're a DIY enthusiast or a pro, Dewalt offers a range of high-quality tools suitable for any project. During this sale, you can find items like cordless drills, power...
Save big on Dewalt tools at Amazon ahead of October Prime Day
CBS Essentials is created independently of the CBS News editorial staff. We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. With fall on the horizon, now's the perfect time to buy new tools for your upcoming projects. Even better, Dewalt tools are currently discounted at Amazon ahead of the coming October Prime Day sale, also known as Prime Big Deal Days.Whether you're a DIY enthusiast or a pro, Dewalt offers a range of high-quality tools suitable for any project. During this sale, you can find items like cordless drills, power...
Kentucky governor bans use of "conversion therapy" on minors
Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear banned the use of "conversion therapy" on minors in Kentucky on Wednesday, calling his executive order an overdue step to protect children from a widely discredited practice that tries to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity through counseling. Over 20 other states that have passed laws prohibiting the controversial treatment.The governor took action using his executive powers after efforts to enact a state law banning the practice repeatedly failed in the state's Republican-dominated legislature."My faith teaches me that all children are children of God," Beshear said during the signing ceremony at the Kentucky Statehouse....
Trump and Harris' views on inflation — their records and what they've said
Inflation is consistently a top issue ahead of the 2024 presidential election — in CBS News' polling in mid-August, 76% of registered voters said it was a major factor in their choice for president — and they want to know how nominees Donald Trump and Kamala Harris would address it.Inflation — the rate of an increase in the price of goods and services over time — has hollowed out many voters' wallets and made it tougher for Americans to save. According to the Federal Reserve, inflation averaged 1.9% a year from 2017 to 2021 when Trump was president. Though inflation recently cooled to...
Sean "Diddy" Combs denied bail again in federal sex trafficking case
Sean "Diddy" Combs was denied bail for a second time in his sex trafficking case in New York City. A federal judge decided Wednesday that Combs should continue to be held without bail following an appeal from his legal team.U.S. District Judge Andrew Carter Jr. said prosecutors showed during Wednesday afternoon's bail hearing "clear and convincing evidence that there is no condition or set of conditions" to guarantee the community's safety or prevent Combs from potentially tampering with witnesses if he were released.Marc Agnifilo, an attorney for Combs, told reporters after Wednesday's hearing that he'll try to get the case to...
We found the best pickleball paddles for advanced players
CBS Essentials is created independently of the CBS News editorial staff. We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. If you're ready to show everyone at the local pickleball court what you're capable of, you need a pickleball paddle that's up to the task. The best pickleball paddles for advanced players are durable enough to hold up to more frequent and more intense games. They're also precision-crafted for specific playing styles. Whether you're a spin doctor or you're secret weapon is your killer serve, there's a paddle out...
We found the best pickleball paddles for advanced players
CBS Essentials is created independently of the CBS News editorial staff. We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. If you're ready to show everyone at the local pickleball court what you're capable of, you need a pickleball paddle that's up to the task. The best pickleball paddles for advanced players are durable enough to hold up to more frequent and more intense games. They're also precision-crafted for specific playing styles. Whether you're a spin doctor or you're secret weapon is your killer serve, there's a paddle out...
This blind teen hopes his singing will bring joy to others
Sawyer McCarthy communicates best through music. The 13-year-old from South Carolina is blind. But his other senses — like his voice — are strong. In April, he sang the national anthem at a Columbia Fireflies game, reaching millions of viewers — not only in America but around the world. "I remember asking him one day, 'How many people do you think saw your video?'," his mom, Brianna McCarthy, told CBS News, turning to her son. '"You answered me and you said, 'Four.' I said, 'Yeah, try like four million.'" With no singing lessons until very recently, Sawyer McCarthy has managed this far with...
Mortgage rates plunge to 2-year low: Should you lock a rate now?
We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. For the last few years, potential homebuyers have faced a mix of housing market challenges, including elevated mortgage rates, high home prices and low for-sale inventory. After the pandemic housing boom, mortgage rates soared, making it much harder for buyers to afford homes, the majority of which had already climbed in price. Coupled with limited housing stock, many prospective buyers were forced to delay their homeownership dreams or stretch their budgets to uncomfortable levels. However, the landscape is starting to...
GM offers Tesla Supercharger adapters to electric vehicle owners for $225 a pop
General Motors is now offering adapters to help its electric vehicle owners access Tesla chargers.The Detroit automaker said Wednesday that it is opening up access to more than 17,800 Tesla Superchargers for its customers, with the use of a GM-approved NACS DC adapter. Customers in the United States will be able to buy the adapter for $225 through GM vehicle brand mobile apps. By using the Tesla Supercharger network, GM EV vehicle owners will have access to more than 231,800 public Level 2 and DC fast chargers in North America."Enabling access to even more publicly available fast chargers represents yet...
Tourist dies after losing her leg in shark attack off Canary Islands
A German tourist died after being bitten by a shark on Monday while sailing off Spain's Canary Islands, the coastguard said.The 30-year-old woman lost a leg in the attack and died of a heart attack later while being transported in a Spanish rescue helicopter, a coastguard spokesman told AFP.She was sailing in a British catamaran in the Atlantic some 278 nautical miles southwest of the island of Gran Canaria when the shark struck. She was attacked while swimming beside the catamaran, Reuters reported. Emergency services received an alert at 1255 GMT calling for a medical evacuation and sent a military plane...
Bogus Harris hit-and-run story created by Russian troll farm, Microsoft says
A false claim that Vice President Kamala Harris was involved in a June 2011 hit-and-run incident that left a 13-year-old girl paralyzed was created by a Russian troll farm, according to a report released Tuesday by Microsoft.The report by Microsoft's Threat Analysis Center said the fabricated story was created by a Kremlin-aligned group, dubbed Storm-1516, one of several Russian disinformation networks that Microsoft says is targeting the Harris-Walz campaign in the lead-up to November's presidential election.The hit-and-run claim surfaced in early September on a website masquerading as a local San Francisco news outlet named KBSF-TV. A five-minute video embedded in...
U.S. passports can now be renewed online, State Department says
The State Department announced Wednesday that Americans can now renew their adult passports online, fully rolling out a system that bypasses the traditional method that required printing out a form and mailing a check."By offering this online alternative to the traditional paper application process, the Department is embracing digital transformation to offer the most efficient and convenient passport renewal experience possible," the State Department said in a statement. "Thanks to increased staffing, technological advancements, and a host of other improvements, the average routine passport is being processed today in roughly one-third the time as at the same point last summer, and...
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