Breaking News

Social Security recipients to get 3.6% cost of living boost

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Social Security Administration projected Wednesday that the annual cost-of-living adjustment for older adults and people with disabilities will go up by 3.6% beginning in 2027, with some recipients complaining that is not enough to offset soaring prices. The adjustment translates to $75 extra per month for the nearly 72 million people who receive monthly Social Security benefits and about 7.3 million beneficiaries who get Supplemental Security Income. The announcement comes as inflation adds pressure on household budgets and businesses and as midterm elections ...

Even with gas tax holiday, prices remain at highest levels

Gas prices are 10 cents lower in Northeast Ohio this week at $3.873 per gallon, according to Monday’s AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report. Gas prices remain the highest they’ve ever been for this time of year. Even though the national average dropped a penny this past week to $4.35, pump prices remain at record highs for autumn. The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline Monday in Niles and Youngstown was $3.841 and $3.869, respectively. At this time in 2025, the average price in Northeast Ohio was $2.82. This is the first year the national average has been above $4 per ...

2 American economists win Nobel for work on managing economic shocks

STOCKHOLM (AP) — American economists Robert E. Hall and Michael Woodford won the Nobel Memorial Prize in economics Monday for their work on models that have helped governments and central banks manage economic shocks, such as energy crises and inflation. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the winners in Stockholm, noting that their work created the theoretical foundation to better understand how consumers decide whether to save or spend, insights that make it easier for policymakers worldwide to stabilize economies after fluctuations. “The laureates’ research has ...

Boosting US oil supplies with Russian diesel unlikely to have much impact on prices, experts say

A new pact that calls for Russia to boost the U.S. supply of diesel over the next few months is unlikely to make a dent in painfully high prices at the pump or elsewhere, energy policy experts say. Energy policy experts expressed doubts that a boost in diesel supply from Russia will have a significant impact on oil prices, whether in the U.S. or globally. “It’s kind of shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic,” said Michael Lynch, distinguished fellow at Energy Policy Research Foundation. “If we get diesel from Russia, basically it means that their existing customers are not ...

Buying now, paying later?

NEW YORK (AP) — 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, transportation and, ...

Tips for getting a business headshot

Getting author photos made to promote his first book was a meaningful experience for freelance journalist Philip Eil. The professional photographer he hired was friendly and supportive, he said, and he liked watching her work during the several hours they spent together. She shot some close-ups in her studio and then took outdoor images of Eil near the Seekonk River, one of his favorite spots in Providence, Rhode Island. “There was so much emotion wrapped up in publishing this book, which I had worked on for over a decade,” Eil said of the 2024 shoot that helped launch his ...