By ADRIANA MORGA The Associated Press NEW YORK Americans spent more than $160 billion last year using buy now, pay later plans, according to research published by Federal Reserve economists. Experts say they’re increasingly seeing people use the plans for everyday expenses like groceries, bills,...
business
By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer NEW YORK The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate jumped this week to its highest level in nearly three years. The benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 7.28% from 7.03% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago...
parks
Americans are deeply frustrated with President Donald Trump’s handling of the economy and rising prices. A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that only 17% of U.S. adults approve of his handling of the cost of living. Just 26% approve...
News
America’s adversaries, especially those with nuclear weapons, sometimes seem to be treated more kindly by President Donald Trump than the country’s oldest friends. Such U.S. unreliability risks encouraging nuclear proliferation by pushing countries to look out for themselves. Las...
safety
A medical helicopter transporting a patient crashed off Catalina Island near Los Angeles, killing two people and leaving two hospitalized, authorities said Thursday. Rescuers continued searching Thursday for a fifth person who was aboard the aircraft and went missing after the We...
parks
By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN The Associated Press WASHINGTON A judge in the nation’s capital agreed on Thursday to permanently dismiss a criminal case charging a former Olympian with vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool , a move that could prevent federal prosecutors from rev...
News
By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. Four astronauts rocketed into orbit Thursday on a space station mission that will stretch until spring, among them a Canadian whose wife will give birth while he’s away. SpaceX launched commander Jessica Watkins and her crew...
government
The deadline for Texas State Artists nominations is coming up on Thursday, October 15. On behalf of the Texas Legislature, the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) is seeking nominations for the positions of 2027 and 2028 State Poet Laureate, State Musician-Classical, State Musicia...
schools
Nimitz Middle School students take part in a class activity on Sept. 13, 2023 in Odessa. Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune By Megan Menchaca, The Texas Tribune Texas public schools lost more than 14,200 immigrant students last school year amid aggressive immigration enforceme...
Local
As the ongoing debate over automated license plate readers rages on, Ector County Sheriff Mike Griffis remains a stalwart fan of the law enforcement tool. ALPRs, such as those sold by Flock Safety, record passing license plates and enter them into a mappable database that officer...
safety
By BRIAN SLODYSKO and JESSE BEDAYN The Associated Press AUSTIN, Texas When Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched his campaign for Senate last year, he skipped the local pageantry. Instead, records show, the conservative firebrand announced his bid on Fox News , cleared his c...
safety
Officials said there will be an increased presence of the Department of Public Safety at the Texas Capitol after the Wednesday arrest of a man accused of planning an attack there on Thursday. Credit: Jacob Lujan/The Texas Tribune By Ayden Runnels and Alejandro Serrano, The Texas ...
