Although inflation is still a top concern, middle-income Americans said they’ve gotten used to higher prices and feel better equipped to handle their finances, according to a recent Santander survey.  Additionally, worries about an economic recession have taken a backseat for many Americans as they begin to accept the high-interest rate environment as the new normal. The number of respondents who expected a recession in the next 12 months dropped from 69% to 60%.Consumer confidence hit a record high of 79.4 in March, the highest since July 2021, according to the University of Michigan’s benchmark Consumer Sentiment Index. The number reflects…

London    European Union officials have raided the offices of a Chinese company as part of a probe into subsidies, exposing rising tensions between the bloc and one of its biggest trading partners. The European Commission said Tuesday that it carried out “unannounced inspections” at the premises of a company making and selling security equipment in Europe, which it suspects may have benefited unduly from state subsidies. It did not name the company. “The commission has indications that the inspected company may have received foreign subsidies that could distort the (EU’s) internal market,” the EU’s executive body said in a…

Last updated: April 24, 2024 08:02 EDT | 2 min read Hong Kong is gearing up to launch its much-anticipated spot Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) by the end of April. According to a report from Bloomberg, the Bosera-HashKey Capital spot ETFs are scheduled to begin trading on April 30.The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) recently granted approval to several fund managers to offer these ETFs in a bid to establish itself as a hub for digital assets by introducing a range of cryptocurrency ETFs. Chinese asset managers are also preparing for the introduction of spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs, drawing comparisons to the highly successful three-month-old US Bitcoin funds that…

New York    Columbia University said it has extended negotiations with student activists over the dismantling of their pro-Palestinian encampment that has highlighted schools’ divestment practices and prompted solidarity protests at colleges across the country. The statement came early Wednesday morning – just hours after Columbia’s president announced it had given protesters a midnight deadline to reach an agreement or the university would consider “alternative options” to clear the encampment. The talks will now be extended another 48 hours after “important progress” was made, the spokesperson said. Protesters have said they won’t disperse until the university agrees to cut ties…

The Biden administration announced new rules that mandate automatic cash refunds for canceled or significantly delayed flights and protect consumers from surprise junk fees in air travel.  “These rules will significantly expand consumer protections in air travel, provide passengers an easier pathway to refunds when owed, and save consumers over half a billion dollars every year in hidden and surprise junk fees,” the White House said in a statement released early Wednesday. “Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them – without headaches or haggling,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “Our new rule sets a new standard…

Editor’s Note: Sign up for ’s Meanwhile in China newsletter which explores what you need to know about the country’s rise and how it impacts the world. Hong Kong    TikTok is facing an existential crisis in America. If its Chinese owner fails to sell the app in the next year or so, it could be banned in its biggest market. Not only would that deal another huge blow to China’s tech ambitions, it would further deepen the divide between two digital worlds centered around the rival economic superpowers. Congress on Tuesday approved legislation that could compel ByteDance to sell TikTok or…

Elementary school cafeterias will be allowed to continue serving flavored milk such as chocolate and strawberry, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday. The Biden administration had initially floated a ban aimed at cutting consumption of added sugars by younger children.The decision is one of several changes now locked in by the department’s Food and Nutrition Service to its sweeping update to requirements that govern school meal programs. First proposed in February 2023, the updates are now set to take effect for the 2025 school year. “School meals matter. In some cases, in many cases, in far too many cases, it…

An Oklahoma man faces up to 12 years in prison on a Caribbean island after customs officials found ammunition in his luggage.Ryan Watson traveled to Turks and Caicos with his wife, Valerie, to celebrate his 40th birthday on April 7. They went with two friends who also turned 40.The vacation came to an abrupt end when airport staff found a Ziploc containing bullets in the couple’s carry-on luggage. Watson said it was hunting ammunition he had accidentally brought with him — but a strict law in Turks and Caicos may still see a court imposing a mandatory 12-year sentence.”They were…

Editor’s Note: A version of this article first appeared in the “Reliable Sources” newsletter. Sign up for the daily digest chronicling the evolving media landscape here. New York    Donald Trump and his allies like to complain at length about imagined “collusion” between the Democratic Party and the media. But on Tuesday, former National Enquirer boss David Pecker lifted the curtain on the actual media collusion that took place in the 2016 election. Pecker revealed in granular detail how Trump worked hand-in-hand with the infamous national tabloid to boost his candidacy and, perhaps far more importantly, simultaneously smear his political opponents with shameful lies and innuendo. “I said what I would…

Last updated: April 24, 2024 07:06 EDT | 1 min read An ECB executive board member wants Apple to change how iPhone payments work to support a potential digital euro. He claims the tech giant’s current system may not support offline payments for any European Central Bank digital currency.The member, Piero Cipollone, outlined his concerns in a letter to EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager dated April 19.“Apple’s proposed commitments would not give third parties full access to the secure element (SE), but only allow for the usage of Host Card Emulation (HCE),” he said. For clarification, a secure element (SE)…

The U.S. Supreme Court is about to rule on a case in which abortion bans in several states collide with the daily reality of emergency medicine in hospitals across the nation ― and its decision will have life-and-death implications. As an emergency physician with more than 25 years under my belt and who has seen just about every medical crisis come through the doors at my hospital, I’m worried that the deeply conservative court will gut the bedrock protections every patient relies on when they stagger into an emergency department desperate for care.At the heart of Idaho v. United States…

2003: Iman in custom Donna Karan with David Bowie. Photo: Steve Azzara / Getty ImagesRepeat Attenders: Models’ memorable Met Gala moments. Iman in Harris Reed, 202 . Photo: Jamie McCarthy / MG21 / Getty Images2001: Iman with Naomi Campbell, both in Dolce & Gabbana. Photo: Steve Eichner / Getty ImagesRepeat Attenders: Models’ memorable Met Gala moments. Lila and Kate Moss, 2022.Fashion’s favorite spectator sport is the Met Gala. The guests are the “players” whose “stats” are times attended and what they wore. I want to believe that having this information organized and readily at hand is not just an archivist’s…

   Texting on the Moon? Streaming on Mars? It may not be as far away as you think. That’s the shared vision of NASA and Nokia, who have partnered to set up a cellular network on the Moon to help lay the building blocks for long-term human presence on other planets. A SpaceX rocket is due to launch this year the exact date has yet to be confirmed carrying a simple 4G network to the Moon. The lander will install the system at the Moon’s south pole and then it will be remotely controlled from Earth. “The first challenge to…

Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships. We receive compensation when you click on a link and make a purchase. Learn more! There are so many perfumes out there, it can be hard to find the one that’s perfect for you. There are tons of factors that go into figuring out a signature scent, including how a fragrance reacts to your body chemistry, the notes that uplift you and make you feel powerful, and even simpler, the smells that make you feel yummy. And Phlur’s newest fragrance is the “magical potion” that you’ll want to douse yourself in every single day. Phlur’s…

Good morning and welcome to Fox News’ morning newsletter, Fox News First. Subscribe now to get Fox News First in your email. And here’s what you need to know to start your day …CLOCK IS TICKING – AOC sounds off as college president sets imminent deadline for anti-Israel camp; first deadline passes. Continue reading …’WHOLE OTHER LEVEL’ – FBI director sounds alarm on rising threats after Oct. 7: Is anyone listening? Continue reading …ABOUT-FACE – White House visitor logs contradict vow to ban DC official who praised notorious antisemite. Continue reading …$1M HOME HEIST – Homeowners to win big against squatters…