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☆ High-Yield Savings Accounts Are Still a Good Deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-22 | by ( Ann Carrns | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

You’ve probably been discouraged to see the interest rate on your high-yield savings account fall during the past couple of months. But your money is still earning much more than it would in a traditional savings account — and more than inflation. Rates paid on cash in savings accounts have been dropping since the Federal Reserve began cutting its key interest rate in September as inflation cooled. Even so, the rates paid on federally insured high-yield savings accounts, many offered by banks that operate solely or mostly online, are still beating inflation, which was 2.6 percent on an annual basis in October. “High-yield savings accounts are still attractive relative to traditional savings accounts,” particularly for emergency or “rainy day” funds that savers want to be able to tap into quickly, said Alan Bazaar, chief executive and co-chief investment officer at Hollow Brook Wealth Management in Katonah, N.Y.

Persons: You’ve, Banks, “, Alan Bazaar Organizations: Federal Reserve, Wealth Management Locations: Katonah, N.Y

While Kamala Harris made history, Vivek Ramaswamy became a household name, and Usha Vance debuted to a tepid national audience, many everyday South Asian Americans were experiencing something altogether different. As these political leaders saw their profiles rise, everyday South Asian Americans experienced increased racism, with anti-South Asian posts online doubling over the campaign season, a new report found. Threats of violence against Asian Americans are up 17% from the baseline, and a vast majority of those threats were directed at South Asian Americans, the data revealed. Still, his Indian American identity has drawn fire. “South Asians, we don’t voice, we don’t make noise, we just silently are suffering,” she said.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Vivek Ramaswamy, Usha Vance, “, ”, Pawan Dhingra, it’s, Manjusha Kulkarni, Harris, ’ ‘, ’, ” Sona, ‘, ’ ”, Donald Trump ., Laura Loomer, JD Vance, Marjorie Taylor Greene, ” Dhingra, —, “ Kamala Harris ’, Sangay Mishra, she’d, Trump, Harris “, Vivek, Nick Fuentes, Ramaswamy, Ann Coulter, Elon Musk, Dhingra, It’s, Payal Sawhney, she’s, Sawhney Organizations: Amherst College, South Asian, Trump, Democratic National Convention, Republican National Convention, South, Drew University, NBC, GOP, Elon, Indian, “ Locations: South, India, Georgia, “, New Jersey, Indian, Indian American, U.S, ” Los Angeles

☆ Richard Moore executed in South Carolina despite appeal to cut sentence to life
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-01 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Ap-Live-Blog-Byline-Image.Png | The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Henry McMaster to reduce his sentence to life in prison without parole because of his spotless prison record and willingness to be a mentor to other inmates. A prison employee announced the execution could begin at 6:01 p.m. Moore took several deep breaths that sounded like snores over the next minute. Three jurors who condemned Moore to death in 2001, including one who wrote Friday, sent letters asking McMaster to change his sentence to life without parole. They were joined by a former state prison director, Moore’s trial judge, his son and daughter, a half-dozen childhood friends and several pastors. Moore is the second inmate executed in South Carolina since it resumed executions.

Persons: Richard Moore, Moore, Henry McMaster, McMaster, Moore’s, Lindsey Vann, Vann, Vann clutched, Barry Barnette, doted, James Mahoney, ” McMaster, Mahoney, ” Moore, “, Jon Ozmint, Ozmint, Todd Kohlhepp, ”, Alexandria Moore Organizations: COLUMBIA, Republican Gov, Supreme, ” Prosecutors, South Carolina Department of Corrections, Air Force Locations: —, Carolina, Spartanburg, U.S, South Carolina, Spartanburg County

☆ Want to Understand America? Watch ‘Shark Tank.’
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-17 | by ( Jordyn Holman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +19 min

“Shark Tank” Over the Years Season 1 (2009-10) The show premiered against the backdrop of the Great Recession. “‘Shark Tank’ is not a game show,” said Kevin O’Leary, a cutthroat investor known sarcastically in the tank as Mr. “Shark Tank” debuted less than a year after the subprime mortgage crisis devastated the global economy. But those kinds of companies are rarely reflected on “Shark Tank” for one simple reason: They don’t make for good TV. “The buyer gave us a shot at Target because of the ‘Shark Tank’ appearance.”“We turn you into a rock star and you become part of the ‘Shark Tank’ culture and the lore of ‘Shark Tank’,” said Mr. O’Leary.

Persons: Tod Wilson, Mark Cuban, Shark Lori Greiner, ”, Kevin O’Leary, Barbara Corcoran, Corcoran, Mark Burnett, Lehman Brothers, “, Daymond John, John, ” Mr, Wilson, Ms, Angela Lee, Halle Tecco, Jamie Siminoff, Siminoff, O’Leary, Siminoff “, Mr, Robert Herjavec, Burnett, Herjavec, TJ Maxx, Lori Greiner, Greiner, Michael Jones, Taryn Jones Laeben, ” Tod Wilson, Lee, Sarah Paiji Yoo, Dave Heath, Ann Crady Weiss, Hatch, Weiss Organizations: ABC, Sharks, QVC, Amazon, Bombas, Corcoran Group, “ Tigers, “, Twitter, Marketplace, Valley . Producers, Las, Columbia Business School, Halle, Four, Smart Tire Company, TJ, Tank, Tank Venture, Science Inc, Forbes, IRL Ventures, Educators, Blueland Locations: Angeles, Valley, Manhattan, America, Britain, Canada, United States, Houston, Somerset, N.J, Las Vegas, cybersecurity, Target, U.S, Los Angeles, Wegman’s, Minneapolis, Queens

☆ A girl murdered in 2006 was just revived as an AI chatbot — and her family had no idea
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-04 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Jennifer Ann Crecente, a high school girl murdered in 2006, recently reappeared as a chatbot on Character.ai. It had been 18 years since Jennifer Ann, a high school senior and Crecente's only child, was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in Austin. Grieving, Crecente had started a nonprofit in her name, working since 2006 to raise awareness for teenage dating violence. Drew CrecenteThe website also listed Jennifer Ann as an "expert in journalism" with expertise in video game news. "This is not quite impersonation in the sense that it seems transparent that it is an AI model," Conitzer said of the chatbot mimicking Jennifer Ann.

Persons: Jennifer Ann Crecente, —, Drew Crecente, Jennifer Ann, Crecente, she'd, I've, he'd, Jennifer Ann's, Brian, Brian Crecente, Character.ai, y3gvAYyHVY, Jennifer Ann chatbot, he's, they're, Cassie Lawrence, Vincent Conitzer, Conitzer, Sue Morris, Dana, they've, Morris, Noam Shazeer, Daniel De Freitas, Shazeer, De Freitas, Winni Wintermeyer, Elon Musk, Nicki Minaj, Ryan Gosling, Andreessen Horowitz, Dominic Perella Organizations: Service, Google, BI, Safety, Institute for, Oxford University, Farber Cancer Institute, Washington, Financial Times, Business Locations: Character.ai, Austin, San Francisco, Character.AI, Boston

☆ Boomers Are Selling Their Small Businesses; Millennials Are Buying
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-01 | by ( Ann C. Logue | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Sure, many small businesses aren't glamorous — think dental practices or accounting firms — and they involve long hours and unpredictable market forces. The US Small Business Administration said in July that there were nearly 35 million small businesses in the US. Fewer than two-thirds of small businesses in the US in 2022 were profitable, and over a million businesses of all sizes close each year. Traditionally, small businesses were family businesses, and the eldest male child was expected to take it over when the patriarch was ready to step down. Buying up small businesses allows people without wealthy boomer parents to cash in on the trillions of dollars of wealth the generation is sitting on.

Persons: George Coulam, Coulam, Forrester, Nancy Forster, Holt, Ernst & Young, Steve Holt, Shaw, Tenney, Paul, Helen Reagan, Forster, who's, Jennifer, Neil Gutekunst, Edie Ellis, Ellis, BizBuySell, you've, Dave Specht, Specht, they've, " Forster, She's, PwC, Norm Dinkel, Brian Brogan, — he's, hasn't, it's, Jennifer Gutekunst, boomer Organizations: Texas Renaissance, NewEdge Wealth, Ernst &, Shaw, University of Rhode, US Small Business Administration, Small Business Administration, Drucker School, Family Business, Claremont Graduate University, Wall, American Investment Council, Saint Joseph's University Locations: Texas, America, Sacramento , California, Maine, Orono, Chicago, Washington, Pennsylvania

The six-part "Mr. McMahon" features interviews from McMahon and touches on controversies that have plagued his decades-long career. "I think she’s fearful, but that is her general state of mind," said Ann Callis, who is Grant's attorney. Vince McMahon announces Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has joined the Board of Directors for TKO at the New York Stock Exchange, in New York City, on Jan. 23. "If I could sum it up generally, it is a culture of corruption," Callis said. "Once you’re accused of rape, you’re a rapist," McMahon says in the docuseries.

Persons: Wrestling Entertainment's Vince McMahon, Mr, McMahon, Janel Grant, Ann Callis, She’s, she’s, Vince McMahon, Dwayne, Johnson, Michelle Farsi, Callis, Grant, she's, Janel, ”, John Laurinaitis, We’ve, Hulk Hogan, John Cena, Rita Chatterton, you’re Organizations: Wrestling, Netflix, WWE, New York Stock Exchange, Southern, of, NBC News Locations: New York City, of New York

As a federal criminal investigation hangs over former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO Vince McMahon, a new documentary series on Netflix offers a rare look at the man credited with turning professional wrestling into a cultural juggernaut. The series only briefly touches on the lawsuit filed against McMahon in January by former WWE employee Janel Grant, who accused him of sexual abuse and trafficking. Grant, who filed the suit against McMahon this year, did not participate in the documentary, according to her attorney, Ann Callis. McMahon,” the on-screen character that was born during the late 1990s “Attitude Era” of WWE, which was known for pushing into R-rated territory. When McMahon is asked in the fourth episode of the Netflix series what similarities he has with the Mr. McMahon character, he responds, “None whatsoever.” But in the sixth episode, he admits some overlap.

Persons: Vince McMahon, McMahon, Janel Grant, Rita Chatterton, you’re, ”, ” McMahon, Phil Mushnick, Owen Hart, “, “ I’d, Chris Benoit, “ I’m, Grant, Ann Callis, Vince, Mr, Shawn Michaels Organizations: World Wrestling Entertainment, Netflix, WWE, New York, Street Journal

The attorney for the woman who has accused Vince McMahon of sex trafficking said Thursday, as a Netflix documentary about the former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO is set to premiere next week, that she's hopeful he will soon be indicted. In a media call, Callis said she and Grant are "hopeful" an indictment will be imminent and are fine with the pace of the U.S. attorney's work. He will vigorously defend himself.”McMahon resigned as executive chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment's parent company after the lawsuit was filed. Grant’s lawsuit also names WWE and former WWE executive John Laurinaitis as defendants. WWE disclosed last summer that investigators served McMahon with a federal grand jury subpoena and executed a search warrant.

Persons: Vince McMahon, Ann Callis, Janel Grant, McMahon, Callis, Grant, ” McMahon, John Laurinaitis, Mr, ”, Kendra Barkoff Lamy Organizations: Netflix, World Wrestling Entertainment, WWE, U.S, Attorney, Southern, of, World Wrestling, NBC News Locations: Janel, of New York

☆ If Your Debt Is Ballooning, There Are Steps You Can Take
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-23 | by ( Ann Carrns | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Americans are increasingly struggling with credit card debt and other loans, and consumers are paying more for basic banking services like A.T.M. And 42 percent of households carrying balances on credit cards reported that their overall debt level was “unmanageable,” up from 38 percent in 2022, the network found. More borrowers have been falling behind on credit card payments, especially those who have maxed out spending on their cards, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Making payments on credit cards as well as car loans, student loans and other installment loans has been increasingly challenging for consumers, the financial network found. (The analysis, which the network publishes annually, is based on public data and a nationally representative survey of consumers.)

Persons: ”, Hannah Gdalman Organizations: Financial Health Network, Federal Reserve Bank of New Locations: Federal Reserve Bank of New York

☆ These Pennsylvania voters illustrate Harris’ suburban challenge
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-12 | by ( John King | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“A ‘Never Trump’ Republican,” Carty said. “When Biden was on the ticket, I was going to vote for Trump,” Carty said. “Definitely I have more friends saying they’re leaning toward Harris,” Carty said. “My street was rock-ribbed Republican,” Sabatini said in an interview at her home in Media, Pennsylvania. And I don’t plan to vote for him in 2024.”The question is, will she vote for Harris or cast another write-in ballot?

Persons: Bala, Pennsylvania CNN — Carol Carty, Ronald, Reagan, ” Carty, “, Donald Trump, –, it’s, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Trump, Carty, Biden, …, Kamala Harris, Nikki Haley, Harris ’ ascendance, Carol Carty, CNN “, Carty isn’t, Harris, Ohio Sen, JD Vance, Vance, Walz, “ I’m, ”, she’s, Harris ’, Tim Walz, ‘, Harris Cynthia Sabatini, ” Sabatini, George H.W, Bush, Sabatini, Susan Collins of, ” Biden, Harris “, … There’s, ” Joan London, Haley, London, “ I’ve, Condoleezza Rice, Ann Coulter, Elizabeth Dole, Michael Pesce, ” Pesce, It’s, Pesce, John King, ” Harris Organizations: Pennsylvania CNN, today’s Republican Party, Republican Party, Republican, Democratic, GOP, Trump ’ Republican, Trump, CNN, South Carolina Gov, Reagan Republicans, Republicans, Minnesota Gov, ”, Pennsylvania, White, Democratic Party, Bucks County . CNN Locations: Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Montgomery County, Bala, Harris . Pennsylvania, Shore of Maryland, Delaware County, Media , Pennsylvania, Susan Collins of Maine, London, Berks County, Republican County, Newtown, Bucks County, Bucks County .

☆ What to Know About Online Paycheck Advances and Why They Face Scrutiny
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-09 | by ( Ann Carrns | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A growing number of Americans who need cash before their next payday are tapping online paycheck advances. But the fees that often come with the advances are drawing scrutiny from a federal consumer watchdog. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed a rule in July that would treat many digital pay-advance offerings as loans. The rule “will help workers know what they are getting with these products,” the bureau’s director, Rohit Chopra, said in prepared remarks. But that cycle doesn’t always match when bills are due, particularly for lower-income workers who face unexpected expenses.

Persons: Rohit Chopra Organizations: Consumer Financial, Employers

☆ A Mortgage Alternative for Lower-Priced Homes Comes With Risks
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Ann Carrns | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

With traditional mortgages for lower-priced homes hard to get, some home buyers are turning to riskier alternatives, like seller-financed loans known as “land contracts” that don’t involve a bank. Some buyers prefer land contracts because they can be arranged quickly and often have lower upfront costs than mortgages. They also offer an alternative to buyers who can’t qualify for a traditional home loan because of poor credit. But the arrangements lack consumer protections available with traditional home loans and can leave buyers worse off financially, Pew found. The report was based on a survey of buyers as well as interviews with dozens of public-interest lawyers in 26 states who have represented buyers.

Persons: don’t, Pew Organizations: Pew

☆ Chase to Bar Customers From Using Credit Cards for ‘Pay Later’ Loans
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Ann Carrns | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

JPMorgan Chase, the nation’s largest credit card issuer, will bar customers from using its credit cards to repay increasingly popular “buy now, pay later” installment loans. Chase said in an emailed statement that buy now, pay later installment loans “are a form of credit” and that the bank did “not generally allow customers to pay for credit products” with their Chase credit cards. Chase has been alerting customers about the change, which takes effect on Oct. 10, and telling them to link a new form of payment to the pay later accounts to avoid missed payments and possible late fees. Chase is not the first credit card issuer to make the move. Capital One, the fourth-largest card issuer, barred use of its credit cards for pay later loans in late 2020.

Persons: Chase, ”, Sarah Strauss, “ Organizations: JPMorgan Chase, PayPal, Capital

☆ How to Rein In Rising Auto Insurance Rates
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( Ann Carrns | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Even as inflation has eased, car insurance rates are rising by double digits. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, auto insurance costs were 19.5 percent higher in June than a year earlier. Most drivers already know about discounts available for “bundling” auto and homeowner insurance policies with the same carrier or for insuring multiple cars. Becoming a better driver may help. Just one accident can mean you’re paying an average of 43 percent more than drivers with clean safety records, according to the financial website Bankrate, which analyzed insurance data from Quadrant Information Services.

Organizations: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Information Services

☆ 'Longlegs,' a Satanic horror movie starring Nicolas Cage, is being called one of the scariest films. Here's what happens in its blood-soaked ending.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Caralynn Matassa | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

In this part, Lee and Carter also go to the Camera family farm, where one of the murders happened in 1975. Agent Carter is satisfied and believes the arrest will allow the murdered families to have justice. AdvertisementLee and another FBI agent, Agent Browning (Michelle Choi-Lee), go to her mother Ruth's house to bring Ruth in for questioning, given Cobble's comments before his death. NEONUnderwood, who plays Agent Carter, gives a quietly devastating performance in his final scene in the film. "It would be something else: prequel or another movie in the universe of 'Longlegs,' or something very unexpected."

Persons: —, it's, Maika Monroe, Lee Harker, Agent Carter, Blair Underwood, Lee, she's, smartly, Nicolas Cage's, Osgood Perkins, Here's, Perkins, Young Lee, Monroe, Carter's, Ruby, Longlegs, Dale Ferdinand Cobble, Cobble, Ruth, Alicia Witt, Carter, Carrie Ann Camera, Carrie Ann, Kiernan Shipka, admonishing, Carrie Ann's, Browning, Michelle Choi, Ruth monologuing, dollmaker, he'd, Lee —, doesn't, Perkins —, he's, I'm, Witt, Underwood, Perkins hadn't, Oz …, There's Organizations: Service, Business, FBI, BI

CNN —A major Supreme Court ruling Friday that shifted power from the executive branch to the judiciary stands to transform how the federal government works. By overturning a 1984 precedent, the court’s conservative majority has made countless regulations vulnerable to legal challenge. The Supreme Court ruling could boost efforts by conservatives who have taken aim at the Biden Environmental Protection Agency’s rules limiting planet-warming pollution from vehicles, oil and gas wells and pipelines, and power plants. The ruling has injected legal uncertainty into regulations of all types, including those on technology, labor, the environment and health care. But the Supreme Court has yet to decide a case heard this term that might gut that limitation.

Persons: ”, Kent Barnett, —, Thomas Berry, John Roberts, Roberts, Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, Joe Biden, Shawn ThewPool, Adam Rust, ” Rust, Andrew Schwartzman, Alexander MacDonald, ” MacDonald, Sharon Block, ” Block, Biden, Andrew Twinamatsiko, ” Twinamatsiko, “, Paul Gallant, TD Cowen, David Vladeck, Chevron —, Ann Carlson, Carlson, David Doniger Organizations: CNN, Biden, University of Georgia School of Law, Chevron, Natural Resources Defense, Republican, Democratic, Cato Institute . Chief, State of, Consumer, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Federation of America, “, Supreme, Securities, Exchange Commission, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, Department of Labor, National Labor Relations Board, Opportunity Commission, Harvard Law School, Center, Labor, American Cancer Society, US Food and Drug Administration, US Department of Health, Human Services, Medicare, Services, Medicaid, Human Services Department, HHS, O’Neill Institute for National, Global Health Law, Georgetown University, FDA, Federal Communications Commission, EPA, National, Traffic Safety Administration, University of California, Natural Resources Defense Council Locations: Obamacare, Chevron, State, Washington , DC, Texas, Littler, Los Angeles

☆ Why Some People Don’t Talk About Money With Their Partner
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Ann Carrns | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

People worried about bills, feeling overwhelmed about overspending or concerned about money management may expect a “money talk” to lead to an argument, so they avoid bringing up the topic, according to a report from researchers at Cornell University and Yale University, published this month in The Journal of Consumer Psychology. Yet prior research has found that communicating about money helps couples spend more responsibly and better manage their debt. Why is it so difficult for some people to talk about money with their partners in the first place? Aja Evans, a financial therapist in New York, said people may feel ashamed that they are having money troubles. (Financial therapists aim to help clients understand how their emotions and beliefs about money can affect their financial behavior.)

Persons: ”, Emily Garbinsky, Aja Evans Organizations: Cornell University, Yale University, Consumer Psychology Locations: New York

☆ Retirement Crisis: Boomers Need to Work Longer, No One Will Hire Them
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Ann C. Logue | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

In order to avoid economic catastrophe, he argued, people should save more money and work longer. The current Social Security retirement age is 67, but most Americans depart the workforce earlier than that. For one, many older people cannot work because of a disability or because they need to care for someone else with a disability. And some older workers have heard all the corporate buzzwords and blather before, so they don't buy into management's sloganeering, rendering them "difficult." He's asking people who have not yet retired to work longer than their elders did and to save even more money, without changing the systematic barriers to either.

Persons: Larry Fink, behemoth BlackRock, Fink, Daniel Ross, Ross, he's, Emily Dickens, SHRM's, We've, Stacie Haller, Patrick Button, Button, ResumeBuilder.com, Gen, we've, Mother Jones, Lilly Organizations: Social Security, Lawyers, Society, Human Resources Management, US Chamber of Commerce, Tulane University, IBM, Employment, Commission, Scripps Medical Clinic, Employers Locations: Down, Texas, Austin, San Diego

☆ The retirement Catch-22
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Ann C. Logue | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The current Social Security retirement age is 67, but most Americans depart the workforce earlier than that. Instead of making it easier for Americans to save for retirement and work as long (or as short) as they want, Fink is setting up a catch-22: The economy needs aging Americans to work longer, but many companies simply don't want them. One of Button's studies looked at "bridge jobs , " part-time jobs in administration or retail that many people use to ease into retirement and cushion their finances. The same year, Scripps Medical Clinic in San Diego was ordered to pay $6.9 million for setting a mandatory retirement age for physicians of 70, regardless of the doctors' interest or abilities. And some older workers have heard all the corporate buzzwords and blather before, so they don't buy into management's sloganeering, rendering them "difficult."

☆ First a Victim of Tax Return Identity Theft, Then a 2-Year Wait for a Refund
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Ann Carrns | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Federal income tax refunds usually appear in bank accounts less than three weeks after the government accepts a return — unless you’re the victim of tax return identity theft. In that case, it often takes about two years. “That period of time is just ridiculous,” Erin M. Collins, who leads the service, said in an interview. For reasons not yet clear, Ms. Collins noted, many of those affected are lower-income tax filers, who often depend on tax refunds to cover basic living costs. Those filers often qualify for tax breaks for working families, like the earned-income tax credit, that can result in significant refunds.

Persons: Erin M, Collins Organizations: Taxpayer Advocate Service, Internal Revenue Service

☆ The US has a rich drag history. Here’s why the art form will likely outlast attempts to restrict it
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-09 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

Most of those efforts failed, but they have fueled harmful rhetoric around drag performers and the art form itself. Barbara Alper/Getty ImagesDrag has become increasingly visible in recent years through mainstream shows like “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and popular public events such as drag brunches, drag bingo and drag queen story hours, in which drag performers read children’s books to young audiences, often at libraries. Pickle reads from a book during the Drag Queen Story Hour program at a Los Angeles library in 2019. These lawmakers falsely claim that drag performers “groom” or sexualize children, of which there is also no evidence. It’s why Alaska Thunderf**k, the blonde bouffanted winner of the second season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars,” first got into drag – to make art that wasn’t bound by rules.

Persons: Anderson Cooper, twirling, Madonna’s, Papa Don’t, ”, “, Meatball, George Santos, Mo B, Dick, It’s, Joe E, Jeffreys, Barbara Alper, ” Jeffreys, ’, Larry La Fountain, Stokes, Ann Arbor, von Miramar, you’ve, William Dorsey Swann, Swann, Channing Gerard Joseph, Nino Testa, ” Testa, it’s, ” Julian Eltinge, pansy, weren’t, Joan Jett Blakk, Adam Turner, Blakk, —, ” Blakk, I’m, Testa, Devin Antheus, Harry James Hanson, Hanson, Marsha P, Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, ” Antheus, Esther Newton, impersonators, ” Newton, RuPaul Charles, who’d, Monica Beverly Hillz, Kylie Sonique, RuPaul, Sasha Colby, Santiago Felipe, David McNew, Antheus, aren’t, who’ve, we’ll Organizations: CNN, New York University, University of Michigan, New, Princeton University, Texas Christian University, Police, Queens, San Francisco, Stonewall, “, Guardian, Broadway, Movement Advancement Locations: Florida, Ann, “, Harlem, Washington, America, Fort Worth, New York, San Francisco, Tennessee, Montana, Los Angeles, It’s, Alaska

☆ Looking for Pet Insurance? Some Dog Breeds Will Cost More to Cover.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-07 | by ( Ann Carrns | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The most popular dog in the country for the last two years has been the French bulldog, beloved for its batlike ears and deep wrinkles. That may be why “Frenchies” are the second-most-expensive dog breed to insure, behind the Cane Corso, a mastiff, according to Spot Pet Insurance, one of dozens of companies selling pet health insurance. The company recently ranked the costliest breeds of dogs and cats to cover, noting that some purebreds may be more expensive because their genetic makeup makes them susceptible to certain health conditions. The rankings were based on average policy premiums as well as the most costly claim paid for the breed, said Trey Ferro, chief executive of Spot Pet Insurance, which has 330,000 active policies. At the other end, the cheapest breeds to insure were the Chihuahua and the Maltipoo, a Maltese-poodle cross.

Persons: Cane Corso, Trey Ferro Organizations: Pet Insurance Locations: Chihuahua, Maltese

☆ ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ Borrowers Get More Safeguards With New Rule
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Ann Carrns | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Borrowers of the popular “buy now, pay later” installment loans should find it easier to dispute charges and get refunds under a new rule announced by the federal government last week. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which has been scrutinizing the alternative loans for more than two years, ruled that “buy now, pay later” lenders were credit card providers and had to offer borrowers some of the same safeguards that conventional credit cards provided. The bureau issued its findings as an “interpretive” rule, meaning it stated its own interpretation of existing law. Shoppers can get a quick approval for the loan at checkout, often with a minimal credit check, and pay zero interest. Some lenders charge late fees for missed payments, while others simply cut off borrowers from new loans until they pay.

Persons: ” Rohit Chopra, they’re Organizations: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

☆ Former WWE employee suing Vince McMahon agrees to pause her case pending a federal investigation, lawyer says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Chloe Melas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon speaks at a news conference announcing the WWE Network at the 2014 International CES in Las Vegas. Janel Grant, a former employee of World Wrestling Entertainment who in a January lawsuit accused founder Vince McMahon of sex trafficking and abuse, has agreed to temporarily pause her case pending a federal investigation. An attorney for McMahon maintained that the allegations against McMahon were false. WWE and its parent company, TKO , have said that they take Grant's allegations "very seriously." WWE had disclosed last summer that investigators served McMahon with a federal grand jury subpoena and executed a search warrant in July.

Persons: Vince McMahon, Janel Grant, Grant, Ann Callis, McMahon, Jessica Rosenberg, John Laurinaitis, Callis, Laurinaitis Organizations: WWE, WWE Network, World Wrestling Entertainment, NBC News, U.S, Attorney, Southern, of, The Southern, District of Connecticut, World Wrestling Locations: Las Vegas, of New York, U.S

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