Noel scores 26 points as Wright State takes down Detroit Mercy 80-72US homelessness up 18% as affordable housing remains out of reach for many people
Alan Halsall breaks his silence on new Coronation Street deal after I'm A Celebrity exitUSC Football Player Gets NIL Earnings In Bitcoin: 'Setting Myself Up For Long-Term Financial Growth'CHRISTIAN JOSI: Trump And RFK Jr. To Save The Day For TikTok?NEW YORK (AP) — With the end of 2024 around the corner, you might be reflecting on financial goals for 2025. Whether you're saving to move out of your parents' house or pay off student loan debt, financial resolutions can help you stay motivated, said Courtney Alev, consumer advocate for Credit Karma. “Entering a new year doesn’t erase all our financial challenges from the prior year," Alev said. “But it can really help to bring a fresh-start mentality to how you’re managing your finances.” If you’re planning to make financial resolutions for the new year, experts recommend that you start by evaluating the state of your finances in 2024. Then, set specific goals and make sure they're attainable for your lifestyle. Here are some tips from experts: Think about how you currently deal with finances — what's good, what's bad, and what can improve. “Let this be the year you change your relationship with money,” said Ashley Lapato, personal finance educator for YNAB, a budgeting app. If you feel like money is a chore, that there's shame surrounding the topic of money, or like you were born being “bad at money,” it's time to change that mentality, Lapato said. To adjust your approach, Lapato recommends viewing money goals as an opportunity to imagine your desired lifestyle in the future. She recommends asking questions like, “What do my 30s look like? What do my 40s look like?” and using money as a means to get there. Liz Young Thomas, head of SoFi Investment Strategy, added that it’s key you forgive yourself for past mistakes in order to move into the new year with motivation. When setting your financial resolutions for 2025, it's important to establish the “why” of each, said Matt Watson, CEO of Origin, a financial tracking app. “If you can attach the financial goal to a bigger life goal, it’s much more motivating and more likely you’ll continue on that path,” Watson said. Whether you're saving to buy a house, pay off credit card debt or take a summer vacation, being clear about the goal can keep you motivated. Watson also recommends using a tool to help you keep track of your finances, such as an app, spreadsheet, or website. “After three years of inflation, your pay increases are likely still playing catch up to your monthly expenses, leaving you wondering where all the money is going," said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate. "Make that monthly budget for 2025 and resolve to track your spending against it throughout the year." McBride said that you may need to make adjustments during the year as certain expenses increase, which would require cutting back in other areas. “Calibrate your spending with your income, and any month you spend less than budgeted, transfer the difference into your savings account, ideally a high-yield savings account,” he said. “Interest rates aren’t likely to come down very fast, so you’re still going to have to put in the hard work of paying down debt, especially high-cost credit card debt, and do so with urgency,” McBride said. Start by taking stock of how much debt you have now relative to the beginning of the year. Hopefully you’ve made steady progress on paying it down, but, if you’ve gone in the other direction, McBride encourages making a game plan. That includes looking into 0% balance transfer offers. “You have more power over credit card interest rates than you think you do," said Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree. “Wielding that power is one of the best moves you can make in 2025.” A 0% balance transfer credit card is “a good weapon” in the fight against high card APRs, or annual percentage rates, he said. A low-interest personal loan is an option as well. You may simply be able to pick up the phone and ask for a lower interest rate. LendingTree found that a majority of people who did that in 2024 were successful, and the average reduction was more than 6 points. When planning for your financial resolutions, it’s important to consider how you’re going to make your goals sustainable for your lifestyle, said Credit Karma's Alev. “It really is a marathon, not a sprint,” Alev said. Alev recommends setting realistic, practical goals to make it easier to stick with them. For example, instead of planning to save thousands of dollars by the end of the year, start by saving $20 a paycheck. Even when your plans are achievable, there are times you'll get derailed. Maybe it’s an unexpected medical bill or an extraordinary life event. When these situations happen, Alev recommends trying not to feel defeated and working to get back on track without feeling guilty. “You can't manage what you can't see, so set a New Year’s resolution to check your credit score monthly in 2025," said Rikard Bandebo, chief economist at VantageScore. “Be sure to pay more than the minimum on your credit accounts, as that's one of the best ways to boost your credit score.” Bandebo also advises student loan borrowers to make all payments on time, as servicers will begin to report late payments starting in January, and missed payments will affect borrowers' credit scores. Automated changes, like increasing workplace 401(k) plan contributions, setting up direct deposits from paychecks into dedicated savings accounts, and arranging for monthly transfers into an IRA and/or 529 college savings accounts all add up quickly, McBride said. Your financial goals can encompass more than just managing your money better — they can also be about keeping your money safe from scams . A golden rule to protect yourself from scams is to “slow down,” said Johan Gerber, vice president of security solutions at Mastercard. “You have to slow down and talk to other people if you’re not sure (whether or not) it’s scam,” said Gerber, who recommends building an accountability system with family to keep yourself and your loved ones secure. Scammers use urgency to make people fall for their tricks, so taking your time to make any financial decision can keep you from losing money. Your financial goals don’t always have to be rooted in a dollar amount — they can also be about well-being. Finances are deeply connected with our mental health, and, to take care of our money, we also need to take care of ourselves. “I think that now more than any other year, your financial wellness should be a resolution," said Alejandra Rojas, personal finance expert and founder of The Money Mindset Hub, a mentoring platform for women entrepreneurs. "Your mental health with money should be a resolution.” To focus on your financial wellness, you can set one or two goals focusing on your relationship with money. For example, you could find ways to address and resolve financial trauma, or you could set a goal to talk more openly with loved ones about money, Rojas said. —— The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Walter Payton Award finalist Irv Mulligan had 116 yards rushing, Jackson State took control in the third quarter and the Tigers rolled past Southern 41-13 on Saturday to win the SWAC Championship. Jackson State (11-2) claimed the conference title for the fourth time and will play MEAC champion South Carolina State in the Celebration Bowl on Dec. 14 in Atlanta. Southern (8-5) led 10-3 late in the second quarter before Jackson State ended the half on an Emari Matthews 2-yard touchdown run and followed it up with Mulligan’s 1-yard TD run to open the third quarter. Now leading 17-10, the Tigers added Gerardo Baeza’s 45-yard field goal and Zy McDonald’s 23-yard touchdown run to take a 27-10 lead into the fourth quarter. Jackson State wrapped up the conference title with two touchdowns in the final 6 1/2 minutes. The Jaguars’ 28-yard field goal by Joshua Griffin in the fourth quarter marked the end of a six-game streak in which Jackson State had not allowed a point in the final period. Also, Southern was only the third team since Oct. 5 to score in the second half against Jackson State. In addition to Muligan’s 116 yards on the ground, McDonald ran for 95 yards and the Tigers totaled 275 yards and four rushing touchdowns. McDonald completed 6 of 11 passes for 75 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Czavian Teasett had 127 yards passing and 56 yards rushing for Southern. __ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up . AP college football: and
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump’s personnel choices for his new Cabinet and White House reflect his signature positions on immigration and trade but also a range of viewpoints and backgrounds that raise questions about what ideological anchors might guide his Oval Office encore. With a rapid assembly of his second administration — faster than his effort eight years ago — the former and incoming president has combined television personalities , former Democrats, a wrestling executive and traditional elected Republicans into a mix that makes clear his intentions to impose tariffs on imported goods and crack down on illegal immigration but leaves open a range of possibilities on other policy pursuits. “The president has his two big priorities and doesn’t feel as strongly about anything else — so it’s going to be a real jump ball and zigzag,” predicted Marc Short, chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence during Trump’s 2017-21 term. “In the first administration, he surrounded himself with more conservative thinkers, and the results showed we were mostly rowing in the same direction. This is more eclectic.” Indeed, Secretary of State-designee Marco Rubio , the Florida senator who has pilloried authoritarian regimes around the world, is in line to serve as top diplomat to a president who praises autocratic leaders like Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Hungary’s Viktor Orban. Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer of Oregon has been tapped to sit at the Cabinet table as a pro-union labor secretary alongside multiple billionaires, former governors and others who oppose making it easier for workers to organize themselves. The prospective treasury secretary, Scott Bessent , wants to cut deficits for a president who promised more tax cuts, better veterans services and no rollbacks of the largest federal outlays: Social Security, Medicare and national defense. Abortion-rights supporter Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is Trump's choice to lead the Health and Human Services Department, which Trump’s conservative Christian base has long targeted as an agency where the anti-abortion movement must wield more influence. Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich allowed that members of Trump’s slate will not always agree with the president and certainly not with one another. But he minimized the potential for irreconcilable differences: “A strong Cabinet, by definition, means you’re going to have people with different opinions and different skills.” That kind of unpredictability is at the core of Trump’s political identity. He is the erstwhile reality TV star who already upended Washington once and is returning to power with sweeping, sometimes contradictory promises that convinced voters, especially those in the working class, that he will do it all again. “What Donald Trump has done is reorient political leadership and activism to a more entrepreneurial spirit,” Gingrich said. There's also plenty of room for conflict, given the breadth of Trump's 2024 campaign promises and his pattern of cycling through Cabinet members and national security personnel during his first term. This time, Trump has pledged to impose tariffs on foreign goods, end illegal immigration and launch a mass deportation force, goose U.S. energy production and exact retribution on people who opposed — and prosecuted — him. He's added promises to cut taxes, raise wages, end wars in Israel and Ukraine , streamline government, protect Social Security and Medicare, help veterans and squelch cultural progressivism. Trump alluded to some of those promises in recent weeks as he completed his proposed roster of federal department heads and named top White House staff members. But his announcements skimmed over any policy paradoxes or potential complications. Bessent has crusaded as a deficit hawk, warning that the ballooning national debt , paired with higher interest rates, drives consumer inflation. But he also supports extending Trump’s 2017 tax cuts that added to the overall debt and annual debt service payments to investors who buy Treasury notes. A hedge-fund billionaire, Bessent built his wealth in world markets. Yet, generally speaking, he’s endorsed Trump's tariffs. He rejects the idea that they feed inflation and instead frames tariffs as one-time price adjustments and leverage to achieve U.S. foreign policy and domestic economic aims. Trump, for his part, declared that Bessent would “help me usher in a new Golden Age for the United States.” Chavez-DeRemer, Trump promised, “will achieve historic cooperation between Business and Labor that will restore the American Dream for Working Families.” Trump did not address the Oregon congresswoman’s staunch support for the PRO-Act, a Democratic-backed measure that would make it easier for workers to unionize, among other provisions. That proposal passed the House when Democrats held a majority. But it’s never had measurable Republican support in either chamber on Capitol Hill, and Trump has never made it part of his agenda. When Trump named Kennedy as his pick for health secretary, he did not mention the former Democrat’s support for abortion rights. Instead, Trump put the focus on Kennedy’s intention to take on the U.S. agriculture, food processing and drug manufacturing sectors. The vagaries of Trump’s foreign policy stand out, as well. Trump's choice for national security adviser , Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, offered mixed messages Sunday when discussing the Russia-Ukraine war, which Trump claims never would have started had he been president, because he would have prevailed on Putin not to invade his neighboring country. Speaking on “Fox News Sunday,” Waltz repeated Trump’s concerns over recent escalations, which include President Joe Biden approving sending antipersonnel mines to Ukrainian forces. “We need to restore deterrence, restore peace and get ahead of this escalation ladder, rather than responding to it,” Waltz said. But in the same interview, Waltz declared the mines necessary to help Ukraine “stop Russian gains” and said he’s working “hand in glove” with Biden’s team during the transition. Meanwhile, Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick for director of national intelligence , the top intelligence post in government, is an outspoken defender of Putin and Syrian President Bashar al Assad, a close ally of Russia and Iran. Perhaps the biggest wildcards of Trump’s governing constellation are budget-and-spending advisers Russell Vought, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. Vought led Trump’s Office of Management and Budget in his first term and is in line for the same post again. Musk, the world’s wealthiest man, and Ramaswamy, a mega-millionaire venture capitalist, are leading an outside advisory panel known as the “Department of Government Efficiency.” The latter effort is a quasi-official exercise to identify waste. It carries no statutory authority, but Trump can route Musk’s and Ramaswamy’s recommendations to official government pathways, including via Vought. A leading author of Project 2025 , the conservative movement’s blueprint for a hard-right turn in U.S. government and society, Vought envisions OMB not just as an influential office to shape Trump’s budget proposals for Congress but a power center of the executive branch, “powerful enough to override implementing agencies’ bureaucracies.” As for how Trump might navigate differences across his administration, Gingrich pointed to Chavez-DeRemer. “He might not agree with her on union issues, but he might not stop her from pushing it herself,” Gingrich said of the PRO-Act. “And he will listen to anybody. If you convince him, he absolutely will spend presidential capital.” Short said other factors are more likely to influence Trump: personalities and, of course, loyalty . Vought “brought him potential spending cuts” in the first administration, Short said, “that Trump wouldn’t go along with.” This time, Short continued, “maybe Elon and Vivek provide backup,” giving Vought the imprimatur of two wealthy businessmen. “He will always calculate who has been good to him,” Short said. “You already see that: The unions got the labor secretary they wanted, and Putin and Assad got the DNI (intelligence chief) they wanted. ... This is not so much a team-of-rivals situation. I think it’s going to look a lot like a reality TV show.”
FG cancels foreign training for Nigerian scholars –Minister
An Iraqi official has told Newsweek that the country had no plans to send troops into neighboring Syria but was instead searching for a political resolution as a coalition of insurgents edged toward Damascus, threatening to oust longtime President Bashar al-Assad in a dramatic turn of a 13-year civil war. "Iraq is working hard to find a balanced political solution to the recent repercussions," an Iraqi government spokesperson told Newsweek . "Iraq does not seek or think about military intervention in Syria." At the same time, the spokesperson emphasized the urgency of the situation, noting the likely effects the upheaval could have on Iraq. "Everything that is happening in Syria is directly related to Iraqi national security," an Iraqi government spokesperson said, "and therefore Iraq cannot remain far from understanding the developments and studying the extent of their impact on it now and in the future." The rapid Syrian rebel advance was launched on November 27 and has been led by the Islamist Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham group and backed by other opposition factions, including the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army. Since then, the government has suffered a series of major losses, including the capture of Aleppo, Hama and Daraa, with insurgents now reportedly closing in on Damascus and Homs despite the Syrian military's repeated assurances of a counterattack. Russia, Iran and factions of the Tehran-led Axis of Resistance coalition, including Iraq-based militias, have pledged support for the Syrian government. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani was also one of two Arab leaders, alongside United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to convey his support for Assad in the midst of the uprising. As Iraqi troops and militias bolstered positions along the 370-mile border with Syria that a decade ago was overrun by the Islamic State militant group ( ISIS ), the Iraqi government spokesperson emphasized that Baghdad would not tolerate any cross-border threats. "Iraq is still an active part of the international coalition to defeat ISIS in Syria and Iraq," the spokesperson said. "And this gives it an international mandate to defend its security and sovereignty if any party thinks of encroaching on the Iraqi borders." The spokesperson added: "Iraq is currently making exceptional political and diplomatic efforts with all countries neighboring Syria and with countries active in the Syrian arena to reach understandings that facilitate the formulation of agreed-upon political solutions to find a solution to the crisis in Syria." The remarks came a day after the top diplomats of Iraq, Iran and Syria met in Baghdad to discuss the latest developments in Syria. During his meeting with Syrian counterpart Bassam Sabbagh, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein expressed his "deep concern" over the situation and the two "affirmed the importance of continuing consultation and coordination between the two countries to avoid the recurrence of past experiences, in addition to working to protect the regional security to ensures the stability of the region and serves common interests," according to an Iraqi readout. Once a staunch opponent of Assad, Baghdad developed warmer ties with Damascus after the U.S.-led invasion that overthrew Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in 2003. After a decade of ongoing violence between U.S. troops and rival militias, ISIS emerged from the chaos and seized large parts of Iraq and Syria, which fell into civil war in 2011 amid clashes between security forces and rebels. The jihadis were ultimately beaten back in both nations by a variety of local and regional forces, including the Iraqi and Syrian militaries, Iran-backed militias and U.S.-backed Kurdish forces. The Syrian government also reclaimed much of its territory from rebel groups who were left largely concentrated in the northwestern province of Idlib and the outskirts of Aleppo. Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham is today the most powerful insurgent group in Syria and was formerly known as the Nusra Front. Its leader, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, was once a close ally of late ISIS founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who previously led Al-Qaeda in Iraq, of which the Nusra Front was considered to be the Syrian branch. Golani ultimately refused to merge into ISIS and rescinded ties with Al-Qaeda in 2016. He has since sought to argue that Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham no longer had jihadi aspirations to extend their aims beyond the borders of Syria. In a video message addressed to Sudani on Thursday, Golani called on the Iraqi leader not to intervene in Syria and sought to reassure him that the unrest would not extend into Iraq. Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham's political wing, the Syrian Salvation Government, has also sought to assuage concerns by the Kurdish-led, U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who have also clashed with rebel groups and seized the eastern city of Deir Ezzor on Friday after Syrian troops abandoned their posts. That same day, a representative of the SDF's political wing, the Syrian Democratic Council, told Newsweek that ISIS was seeking to exploit government losses to resurge in Syria. In the remarks shared Saturday with Newsweek , the Iraqi government spokesperson urged for unity in Syria and warned against any attempts to incite further divisions. "Iraq rejects tampering with the unity of Syrian territory and rejects the introduction of any divisive ideas, as this poses a danger to the entire region," the Iraqi government spokesperson said. "Iraq rejects exposing the Syrian people to more suffering and pain after these long years of ordeal and diaspora," the spokespersons added. "And Iraq seriously warns against tampering with national and religious minorities or trying to incite divisions in the Syrian social fabric, and their effects on the neighborhood." The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an Iraqi state-sponsored coalition of paramilitary forces formed to fight ISIS, also confirmed that its units were taking measures to prevent any threats from spreading to Iraq. "There are major measures being taken by the Popular Mobilization Forces in cooperation with the rest of the Iraqi security services, the army, the police, and the Counter-Terrorism Service, in order to secure Iraq from terrorist gangs," PMF Media Director Muhannad al-Aqabi said in a statement shared with Newsweek on Saturday. "These measures began a few days ago and are still ongoing." Aqabi said that the PMF viewed the situation with gravity but was capable of safeguarding Iraqi security. "We in the Popular Mobilization Forces are fully prepared to confront any aggression," Aqabi said. "We have sufficient capabilities in terms of manpower and military capabilities, and we have sufficient experience to fight terrorist groups. Therefore, we are very concerned about what is happening in Syria, but it does not reach the point of fear because Iraq is completely different from Syria." While the PMF officially reports to the Iraqi Armed Forces, a number of its units, including the Nujaba Movement and Kataib Hezbollah, have operated independently, including in rocket and drone attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria. These attacks have accelerated in the midst of the 14-month war in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement, which Iran and its Axis of Resistance have supported. Days after the spokesperson for the Nujaba Movement told Newsweek that the group viewed the Syrian rebel offensive as serving the interests of the U.S. and Israel and would commit to Assad's defense, reports emerged of Iraqi militias crossing the border into Syria. Addressing these reports, Aqabi said "this matter does not concern the Popular Mobilization Forces," which "currently have a limited function within Iraq exclusively, and no official military force is allowed to violate the orders and instructions issued by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces." "The factions have their own decisions and opinions," Aqabi said. "And we are committed to the instructions of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces." This is a developing news story. More information will be added as it becomes available.
Robert Herjavec admits he was ‘jealous’ of Shark Tank co-star Mark Cuban – but meeting billionaire made him richer
Newsom wants CA consumers to pay to replace $7,500 federal EV credit, Tesla excluded
Expert Says Once XRP Hits This Level, $4 Is Inevitable – DOGEN Eyes a 50x SurgeUS homelessness up 18% as affordable housing remains out of reach for many people
Newsom wants CA consumers to pay to replace $7,500 federal EV credit, Tesla excluded