Keeping Up With America

FedEx flight catches fire after colliding with bird during takeoff from Newark airport: A FedEx cargo plane traveling from Newark to Indianapolis struck a bird during takeoff Saturday morning, according to officials. FedEx Flight 3609 struck the bird while departing, damaging one of the Boeing 767’s engines, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. Videos circulating on X appear to show the plane on fire while in the air.

Michigan’s last-minute pay law shows the fight over tips and wages is getting more complicated: Michigan lawmakers brokered an eleventh-hour deal last week resolving a seven-year fight over what tip earners get paid. But the compromise wasn’t reached until 12 hours after the deadline, and advocates now say workers should get paid for the delay.

A privately built spacecraft is about to attempt a moon landing: A privately built spacecraft is hours from attempting to land on the moon, a feat that only one other company has accomplished in spaceflight history.

Trump administration accused of sidestepping court rulings amid spree of legal losses: The Trump administration continued to face setbacks in court this week over its efforts to drastically downsize the size of the government, while plaintiffs in some of the cases accused the government of trying to sidestep judicial orders.

Former N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo launches NYC mayoral campaign: Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, announced Saturday that he’s running to be the next mayor of New York City. Cuomo had been teasing a campaign launch for weeks and is now jumping back into politics just four years after he resigned from the governorship following multiple sexual harassment allegations.

Around the World

U.K. neighbors offered a bounty to turn a Hong Kong pro-democracy activist in to Chinese officials: The “wanted” posters were sent by mail, arriving at the homes of Carmen Lau’s neighbors in the town of Maidenhead. The alleged crime? Speaking out about China’s rule in Hong Kong, where Lau has not lived since 2021.

Zelenskyy seeks support at emergency European summit after bruising Trump encounter: Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday as European leaders grapple with the fallout from an extraordinary on-air exchange in which the Ukrainian president was loudly berated by Donald Trump.

Lets Talk Business and Tech

With $1 billion in salary IOUs, the Dodgers spark new questions about MLB’s fairness

Reported global Microsoft outage leaves tens of thousands unable to access email and other apps

How a $5 million fix turned Paramount Pictures’ ‘Sonic’ into a billion-dollar franchise

Richer, Wiser, Happier

Tax breaks, child care and free college: How a Kansas town is enticing people to move there: With a population of about 2,100, Neodesha, Kansas, is roughly 100 miles from Wichita and Topeka in Kansas and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Its claim to fame is the 65-foot-tall tower that supported the drilling framework for the first commercial oil well west of the Mississippi River, locals say.

37% of Americans Don’t Own Stocks. 3 Easy Ways to Become an Investor Today. | James Brumley, Fool. You may never be as rich as the uber-wealthy, but you can still reap the same percentage returns that they do on their money. If you’ve decided the stock market is a rich man’s game… well, there’s actually bit of truth to the idea. The wealthiest 1% of families living in the United States own about 50% of the entire U.S. stock market, while the richest 10% of the country’s households own about 87% of all its stocks. The other 90% of people living in the United States are collectively holding the other 13% of the stock market’s total value of around $60 trillion. But not even all of those families are equity investors. As the Motley Fool’s in-house research arm highlights, 37% of Americans — or roughly 40 million households — don’t own any stocks at all.

Here’s How Much the Average Tax Refund Would Be Worth If You Invest It Until Retirement: I’m going to take a wild guess and say you probably don’t enjoy filing your taxes. But for many, there’s the silver lining of a refund check waiting at the end of it all. The average refund check as of Feb. 14, 2025 is $2,169 per month. That’s about a third less than what we saw last year at this time. However, fewer people have filed their returns so far, and there’s a lot of tax season left to go.

Sports and Showbiz Shenanigans

Rick Pitino-coached St. John’s wins outright Big East title | Mitchell-led Cavaliers stun Celtics in battle of East’s best

‘Rust’ Shooting Story Revealed in New Trailer for Hulu Documentary (TV News Roundup) | Netflix Wins Bidding War for Natalie Portman, Lena Dunham Rom-Com ‘Good Sex’ With $55 Million Sale

Critics of Selena Gomez’s Spanish in ‘Emilia Pérez’ shutter dialogue and growth | Opinion | Who are the Oscar nominees for best actor in a leading role 2025: See full list

Life Hacks to Hack Your Life

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FLASH Sale! Trump “47” Stainless Steel Tumblers – USD10 Only Today

13 Things You Should Never Store On Top Of Your Fridge

How to Grow Tomatoes Indoors for Vine-Ripened Fruit Year-Round