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5 moves to prevent more debt this holiday season

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:42 GMT

(NerdWallet) - Entering the holiday season with high-interest debt or financial struggles can put you at risk for a debt hangover that could linger for years.It’s a crossroads that many will unfortunately encounter this holiday season. Credit card balances rose to over $1 trillion in the second quarter of 2023, according to a report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The average rate for credit cards assessed interest as of August 2023 was 22.77%, according to data by the Federal Reserve. Compared with previous years, that rate is alarmingly high.With interest rates sky-high, this is one of the worst times to charge expenses to credit cards that you can’t pay off quickly. Before you shop for the holidays, consider these ways to help you get clear on your goals and protect your finances.1. Find a way to lower high-interest debtIf you’re already carrying debt, consider ways to save money on interest. Depending on your credit, some options may include:A 0% introductory APR balanc...

LIVE: 1 officer dead, 1 officer injured after SWAT situation in south Austin

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — One Austin police officer was killed and another officer was injured in south Austin Saturday morning, according to Austin officials. The Austin Police Department said it responded to a call for a stabbing in the 9300 block of Bernoulli Drive at 2:49 a.m. Support pours in for APD officer killed, another injured in line of duty Sources said that officers entered a house to free hostages and that was when the suspect shot at the officers. One officer was killed, while another was shot in the shoulder.Sources said multiple shots were fired by other SWAT members, and those officers were now being processed at a police substation.According to a city council message board, the officer-involved shooting happened at about 4:10 a.m. Mayor Kirk Watson said the injured officer was in surgery as of around 8:30 a.m.APD held a procession for the fallen officer from Dell Seton Medical Center to the medical examiner's office.According to a message se...

Support pours in for APD officer killed, another injured in line of duty

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Support is pouring in Saturday morning for the Austin Police Department after one officer was killed and another was injured in the line of duty. The incident began just before 3 a.m. Saturday morning and turned into a SWAT situation, APD confirmed to KXAN, which resulted in an officer-involved shooting. Mayor Kirk Watson said the injured officer was in surgery as of around 8:30 a.m., and a procession was held starting from Dell Seton Medical Center for the fallen officer. READ MORE: 1 officer dead, 1 officer injured after SWAT situation in south Austin Details are limited at this time as to what exactly happened, but city and state officials quickly took to social media to show support for the department and its officers. Below is a compilation of statements gathered honoring the officers involved. Mayor Kirk Watson“My heart and the hearts of Austinites are broken this morning. This is a horrible moment for our city and those who protect us. I’m praying for t...

Working Strategies: 10 ways to choose a new career path

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:42 GMT

Amy LindgrenSecond Sunday Series  — This is the third of 12 columns on making a career change appearing the second Sunday of the month, from September through August. Last month’s column presented a sample timeline, while the month before offered questions to consider when changing careers. Some people planning a career change know exactly what they want to do next. Lucky them! If that’s not you, waiting for inspiration to strike isn’t the answer. Passive processes can lead people to quiet careers of desperation, so to speak, not to mention years or decades of missed opportunities.Instead, you’ll want to select one or more steps to follow, hopefully leading to ideas you can research to identify your next career. Following are 10 such processes, some more strategic than others, but each of which can work.Many of these steps can be enhanced by a trip (or several) to www.CareerOneStop.org. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration, this help...

Albany Police investigating Judson Street homicide

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:42 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Albany Police Department announced they are investigating a homicide that took place on Judson Street early on Saturday morning. The victim's name will not be released until their family has been notified, according to police. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! On November 11 at 3 a.m., officers responded to the area of Judson Street between First Street and Second Street following reports of shots fired. Upon arrival, police located a 32-year-old man with a gunshot wound to his chest. The victim was tended to on the scene by emergency medical personnel before being taken to Albany Medical Center, where he was later pronounced deceased. The investigation remains ongoing. Police: Five arrested in scheme to smuggle contraband Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Albany Police Detective Division at (518)462-8039. Anonymous tips can also be submitted online by visiting...

Vietnam Vets find unique connection 50 years after war

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:42 GMT

GALWAY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Two local Vietnam War veterans discovered a unique connection 50 years after their time in the service. News10's Stephanie Rivas spoke with Bob Nevins, the Founder of Non-profit Alliance 180, and Dr. Gus Kappler, Author of Welcome Home From Vietnam, Finally: A Vietnam Trauma Surgeon’s Memoir.

Healthy hotspots: The most physically active counties in Missouri

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:42 GMT

Regular physical activity is beneficial for both physical and mental health. But around 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. say they don't engage in any kind of physical exercise in a typical week, a 2021 report by Ipsos found.Nearly one-third of U.S. adults reported symptoms of anxiety or depression disorder in 2023, according to Kaiser Family Foundation data. People treated for anxiety, depression, and psychological distress—and who exercise regularly—show fewer and less intense symptoms of those conditions than their fellow patients who don't exercise, according to a 2023 umbrella review of medical research. The study highlighted that the most significant benefits of physical activity accrue to otherwise healthy individuals, as well as those suffering from depression and HIV.Many studies have also demonstrated that physical exercise provides sustained boosts to cognitive function. For example, a 2020 meta-analysis of 46 randomized controlled trials established that older adults participati...

817,669 Californians left in 2022. Which state did they move to?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:42 GMT

California lost 817,669 residents to other states in 2022.No state had a larger outflow of its population to other parts of the nation, according to Census Bureau data. New York was No. 2 with 545,598 exits, followed by Texas (494,077), Florida (489,905) and Illinois (344,027).So where did ex-Californians move to in 2022? And how did that flow change over the year?Location. Location. Location.Texas was the No. 1 spot for ex-Californians with 102,442 relocations. Then came Arizona (74,157), Florida (50,701), Washington (49,968) and Nevada (48,836).The least popular states included Delaware, which snared only 660 Californians, followed by Vermont (855), West Virginia (879), Rhode Island (919) and South Dakota (957).Consider these moves as a share of a state’s population. Or, thinking about the flow another way: What are the odds someone would meet a new California transplant in another state?Nevada has the highest concentration of former Californians in the Exiting Class of 2022...

Audit: Security breach, staffing concerns contributed to ‘unsatisfactory’ accountability from Md. Medicaid agency

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:42 GMT

Another audit within a branch of the Maryland Department of Health reveals years of “unsatisfactory” record-keeping that may have resulted in millions of Medicaid dollars improperly paid out for people who did not qualify and a lack of program oversight to ensure that people received adequate health care services, according to a Tuesday report from the Office of Legislative Audits.The audit raised several concerns out of the Medical Care Programs Administration, which largely oversees the implementation of Medicaid in the state, from August 2018 through March 2022, during the administration of former Gov. Larry Hogan (R). The audit evaluated how the agency monitored the low-income federal health care assistance program.“We determined that MCPA’s accountability and compliance level was unsatisfactory, in accordance with the rating system we established in conformity with State law,” the audit concluded.This audit comes just days after the state Departmen...

London police clash with counter-protesters as tensions rise over a pro-Palestinian peace march

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:42 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Palestinian supporters marched peacefully through central London on Saturday, even as right-wing counter-protesters clashed with police, after a week of angry debate over whether to permit the demonstration on a day when Britain honored its war dead.The day unfolded in a backdrop of tensions fueled by Home Secretary Suella Braverman who earlier this week characterized pro-Palestinian demonstrations as “hate marches” and called for Saturday’s event to be blocked out of respect for Armistice Day events marking the end of World War I.The skirmishes between police and counter-protesters carrying the Union flag of Great Britain and the red-and-white flag of England appeared to confirm the concerns that Braverman’s comments would attract right-wing elements looking for an excuse to confront the pro-Palestinian marchers.The march was apparently the largest in London since the start of the conflict, with hundreds of thousands snaking through the city from Hyde Park to the U.S....