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This week, the Trump administration announced a proposed settlement with the state of Missouri that said it would end the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan — upending the repayment plans of millions of student loan borrowers across the country. Initially, President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill had set the student loan repayment plan’s expiration date as July 1, 2028. However, the new deal, which is pending court approval, would end it even sooner than expected. The Department of Education said it will not enroll any new borrowers in the SAVE plan, will deny any pending SAVE applications, and…

Total U.S. credit card debt rose to $1.23 trillion in the third quarter of 2025, an increase of $24 billion from the previous quarter and up about 50 percent over the past five years, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s latest Household Debt and Credit report.And a report from the personal finance website WalletHub found that outstanding credit card debt is now about 1 percent below the all-time high reached last year, and that average credit card debt is currently at more than $11,000 per household.Why It MattersRising debt burdens have continued to weigh on Americans’ finances…

Mortgage rates increased slightly, adding to cost pressures for buyers.

With the right approach in 2026, credit card users can start erasing their high-rate debt. Getty Images/iStockphoto If you find yourself spending your final days of 2025 compiling your financial resolutions for the new year, you’re likely not alone. With inflation rising in recent reports, unemployment at its highest level since 2021 and concerns over layoffs growing, millions of Americans may find themselves taking the same approach. And, if you have credit card debt, it’s vital that you start building a strategy right now.Credit card debt can be devastating to your financial health. And with the average balance sitting over $6,000…

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It used to be that a local news organization could stand alone. History and policy pushed these outlets into local ownership, focusing on their own communities, with their own presses. Today, however, no local news organization is an island. Local news organizations will continue to rely on each other in 2026, but it will look very different for legacy organizations compared to startups and nonprofit sites. The divide between consolidation and collaboration will only deepen. Legacy media organizations are consolidating: swallowed up by chain ownership that cuts, bleeds, and sells off everything that makes them distinctively local. In an attempt…

A new wave of consolidation is on the horizon for small- and medium-sized US shale producers, largely driven by an appetite for scale in a merger and acquisition (M&A) environment that is getting increasingly competitive. Scale and efficiency are key catalysts for exploration and production (E&P) players who are seeking favorable business valuations, with acquisitions emerging as a key calculation of shareholder value by rewarding operators who keep volumes high and costs low. To build scale and survive another consolidation wave, the smaller E&Ps have limited choices: either buy assets that larger players are looking to get rid of, or…

CALAIS, Vt. (WCAX) – Two central Vermont elementary schools are once again facing closure as the Washington Central Unified Union School District takes on education restructuring challenges head-on.It’s storytime at Calais Elementary School, a school whose future is in doubt.“We want to have equitable, consistent, and sustainable instruction for all of our students, and it’s hard in the reality that we are now also as a state,” said Washington Central Unified Union School District Board Chair Flor Diaz-Smith.The board will vote on Wednesday whether to put Calais Elementary School and the Doty Memorial School in Worcester on the chopping block.Under…

Illinois’ consolidation of suburban police and fire pension funds is beginning to pay off, with records showing improved investment returns and significant cost savings for some local governments. While challenges remain, the overhaul has boosted funding levels and eased financial pressure on communities long burdened by rising pension obligations. Source link

Florida A&M Marching 100 perform in Leon County’s commission chambersAfter a proclamation recognizing the Marching 100 winning HBCU Band of the Year by ESPN, the band performs in commission chambers, Feb. 11, 2025.The Leon County Commission wants to hear from voters about the prospect of combining city and county governments – even though the topic has a history of failing to gain support during past referendums.After a nearly 6-hour meeting, with many of those being taken up by a lengthy conversation on the comp plan, county commissioners voted 5-2, with Commissioners Nick Maddox and David O’Keefe in dissent, to create…