People with federal student loans may be eligible for a break on their monthly payments — if they act before an upcoming deadline. Student loan borrowers can earn a stepped-up interest rate discount of 1%, compared to the usual 0.25%, if they enroll in the U.S. Department of Education’s automatic payment feature before Sept. 30. …
American Airlines changed its flight cancellation and refund policy to make it more restrictive, potentially preventing passengers from getting their money back when trips are disrupted. The airline’s 24-hour refund policy now applies only to customers who book a ticket for a flight at least one week away. That means travelers are only entitled to…
A U.K.-based production company and a filmmaker are suing Netflix for $105 million, alleging the streaming company lost a drive containing a copy of an unreleased espionage movie, which they claim undermined its commercial prospects. The complaint filed on Wednesday in California district court alleges that the film’s associate producer, Daniel Haido, hand-delivered an unencrypted…
Mortgage rates in the U.S. hit their highest level in a year on Thursday as renewed tensions in the Middle East and the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision this week fanned inflation concerns. The rate on a conventional 30-year mortgage averaged 6.66% in the week ending July 30, the highest level since July 2025, according to…
The nation’s gross domestic product grew at an annual rate of 1.5% in the second quarter, the Commerce Department said Thursday, weaker than economists expected and a sign the Iran war is hurting growth. Economists polled by Reuters predicted GDP would rise at an annualized rate of 2.1% for April to June. GDP measures the…
The Federal Trade Commission sued Hims & Hers on Wednesday, alleging the telehealth platform shared customers’ health information with third-party platforms, including Meta and Snap, without their consent. The complaint, filed in federal court in the Northern District of California, alleged that Hims & Hers shared the data despite promising to protect consumers’ privacy. “Hims…
More airlines are banning humanoid and pet-like robots from boarding flights or traveling in passengers’ checked luggage, citing potential safety concerns. Although humanoid robots remain rare outside the laboratory and even the factory floor, numerous companies are developing the technology, with robot evangelists such as Elon Musk predicting that they will eventually become common. Earlier…
The Federal Reserve said on Wednesday that it is leaving its benchmark interest rate unchanged, a sign policymakers expect inflation to ebb despite higher energy costs due to the war in Iran. This marks the fifth consecutive time the central bank has held rates steady this year. The last time Fed officials voted to change…
Several schools in three states will launch the new academic year with a new security measure: drones equipped with pepper spray, strobe lights and other features that their manufacturer says can be used against an active shooter within seconds. The schools, located in Colorado, Florida and Georgia, will be the first to add drones from…
President Trump gave his 2026 State of the Union address on Tuesday evening, during which he addressed, among other topics, the economy — an urgent topic of concern for millions of Americans who say they’re worried about everything from the price of food to spiraling health care costs. The president touted his work during his…
