Chris Spiker

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Ban On 'Junk Fees' For Tickets, Vacation Rentals Officially Begins: Here's What To Know Ban On 'Junk Fees' For Tickets, Vacation Rentals Officially Begins: Here's What To Know
Ban On 'Junk Fees' For Tickets, Vacation Rentals Officially Begins: Here's What To Know Hotels, vacation rentals, and ticket sellers must now show their full costs up front under a new federal rule  aiming to end "junk fees." The Federal Trade Commission's rule banning "junk fees" officially went into effect on Monday, May 12. The FTC passed the rule in December 2024 to prevent businesses from inflating prices by hiding mandatory costs through vague or hidden charges like "resort," "convenience," or "service" fees. Companies selling concert tickets, hotel stays, and short-term vacation rentals now must display all required fees in advertised prices online, in p…
US, China Cut Tariffs In 'Substantial De-Escalation' Of Trump's Trade War US, China Cut Tariffs In 'Substantial De-Escalation' Of Trump's Trade War
US, China Cut Tariffs In 'Substantial De-Escalation' Of Trump's Trade War The US and China are stepping back from extremely high retaliatory tariffs placed on each other, lowering the duty rates to ease tensions and negotiate a potential trade deal. The White House announced the tariff-lowering agreement on Monday, May 12. Both countries will reduce their tariffs to a baseline 10% rate, with the US continuing to impose its 20% tariff on China related to fentanyl. The drastic reduction comes after President Donald Trump dramatically raised tariffs on Chinese imports to a combined 145%, causing Beijing to retaliate with a 125% tariff on US goods. The agreement also…
More Americans Heading To Europe As Foreign Tourists Avoid US Under Trump More Americans Heading To Europe As Foreign Tourists Avoid US Under Trump
More Americans Heading To Europe As Foreign Tourists Avoid US Under Trump As international tourists shy away from the United States, more Americans are planning summer trips to European destinations, according to new travel data. US travel to Europe is expected to rise 10% from 2024, Allianz Partners USA said in a report released on Thursday, May 8. The insurance firm analyzed nearly seven million summer itineraries booked between Thursday, May 22, and Tuesday, Sept. 2, each lasting five to eight days. The most popular destinations are familiar favorites. London retains the No. 1 spot, followed by Paris and Dublin in the top three. Rome is in fourth place a…
Habemus Bobble: Pope Leo XIV Depicted In Bobbleheads — Here's How To Get One Habemus Bobble: Pope Leo XIV Depicted In Bobbleheads — Here's How To Get One
Habemus Bobble: Pope Leo XIV Depicted In Bobbleheads — Here's How To Get One Pope Leo XIV is being honored with a couple of special collectibles. The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum released two limited-edition bobbleheads of the new pope on Friday, May 9. The 267th pope of the Catholic Church was elected on the conclave's fourth ballot on Thursday, May 8. The pontiff, born Robert Francis Prevost, is the first US-born pope and the first one from North America. His Argentinian predecessor, Pope Francis, was the first pope from the Americas. The Chicago native's historic moment emerging on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica has been captur…
More Amputated Fingertips Reported, Forcing Massive Cooler Recall To Expand More Amputated Fingertips Reported, Forcing Massive Cooler Recall To Expand
More Amputated Fingertips Reported, Forcing Massive Cooler Recall To Expand Igloo has expanded a major recall after dozens of new reports of severe fingertip injuries tied to its rolling coolers. Igloo Products Corp. is recalling about 130,000 more coolers, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Thursday, May 8. The latest recall brings the total number of affected coolers to nearly 1.2 million. The first recall was issued for 1,060,000 Igloo coolers back in February. In total, the company has received 78 injury reports, 26 of which involved fingertip amputations, bone fractures, or deep cuts, according to the CPSC. The problem stems fr…
Tufts Student Must Be Freed After ICE Detained Her For Pro-Palestine Op-Ed, Judge Rules Tufts Student Must Be Freed After ICE Detained Her For Pro-Palestine Op-Ed, Judge Rules
Tufts Student Must Be Freed After ICE Detained Her For Pro-Palestine Op-Ed, Judge Rules A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to release a Tufts University doctoral student who has been in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody for more than six weeks after she wrote a pro-Palestine op-ed. The judge in Vermont granted bail to Rumeysa Öztürk on Friday, May 9. US District Judge William Sessions said the federal government had proven no basis for detaining Öztürk other than her student newspaper op-ed, criticizing the university's response to Israel's occupation of Gaza. The 30-year-old was detained by six masked, plainclothes officers whil…
You Could Get Up To $100 In Apple's $95M Siri Eavesdropping Settlement: Here's How You Could Get Up To $100 In Apple's $95M Siri Eavesdropping Settlement: Here's How
You Could Get Up To $100 In Apple's $95M Siri Eavesdropping Settlement: Here's How Apple has agreed to pay $95 million after its Siri voice assistant was accused of secretly recording private conversations. The tech giant approved the settlement in the class action lawsuit, which claimed Siri sometimes turned on by mistake and captured the conversations of unaware users. Apple has denied wrongdoing but agreed to settle the case. Anyone who bought or owned a Siri-enabled device between Sunday, Sept. 17, 2014, and Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, can file a claim. The settlement covers iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, MacBooks, iMacs, HomePods, iPod Touches, and Apple T…
Leo XIV Celebrates First Mass As Pope: Hear His Message To Catholics Leo XIV Celebrates First Mass As Pope: Hear His Message To Catholics
Leo XIV Celebrates First Mass As Pope: Hear His Message To Catholics Pope Leo XIV had a simple message during the first Mass of his papacy: life lacks meaning where faith is lacking. The Chicago native, born Robert Francis Prevost, celebrated Mass at the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican on Friday, May 9. It was the 69-year-old's first service as head of the Catholic Church, leading about 1.4 billion followers worldwide. Leo XIV is the church's 267th pope, the first born in the US, and the first North American pontiff. His predecessor, Pope Francis, was the first pope from the Americas, hailing from Argentina. Briefly speaking in English during his homily,…
Pet Owners Can Now Order Prescription Meds On Amazon: Here's How Pet Owners Can Now Order Prescription Meds On Amazon: Here's How
Pet Owners Can Now Order Prescription Meds On Amazon: Here's How Dog and cat owners can now order prescription medications on Amazon, as the online retail giant tries to make pet care easier and more convenient. Amazon announced its new partnership with Vetsource in a blog post on Thursday, May 8. Vetsource is a licensed pet pharmacy that handles the filling and delivery of prescriptions. Customers can search for medications, add them to their cart, and check out using Amazon's regular system. "We know animals are not just pets; they're family," said Wendy Franks, director of Amazon Pets. "That's why we're so excited about being able to e…
Noodles & Company Planning To Close About 20 Restaurants Noodles & Company Planning To Close About 20 Restaurants
Noodles & Company Planning To Close About 20 Restaurants A popular restaurant chain specializing in noodle-based dishes could close more than 20 locations. Noodles & Company plans to shut down as many as 21 restaurants in 2025, the fast-casual chain said in its first-quarter financial report on Wednesday, May 7. There are 13 to 17 company-owned restaurants expected to be shuttered, along with four franchised locations. The chain hasn't said which locations could close. The closings come as Noodles & Company reported a 4.4% increase in sales during the first three months of 2025. The chain rolled out a new menu in March, fe…
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