Keeping Up With America

Social Security Administration bars employees from reading the news at work: The Social Security Administration wrote in a Thursday morning email that employees can no longer read news websites on work devices. “SSA is implementing additional restrictions to the categories of websites prohibited from government-furnished equipment,” the email, obtained by NBC News, began. “Effective today, March 6, 2025, the categories include: Online shopping, General News; and Sports.”

Police responding to bomb threat clear pro-Palestinian protesters occupying Barnard College library: Barnard College’s library was evacuated Wednesday as police responded to a fake bomb threat during a sit-in staged by pro-Palestinian protesters. The New York Police Department said on the social platform X that the threat was reported at the upper Manhattan college’s Milstein Center, which serves as the hub for academic life on campus. The department said anyone refusing to leave during the evacuation would be subject to arrest.

Immigrant couple to get $80,000 in damages from former landlords who threatened to call ICE: The national Latino legal and civil rights organization representing an immigrant couple who sued their former landlords in Chicago for threatening to call ICE on them said this week the tenants will be awarded more than $80,000 in damages, after a judge found the landlords violated an Illinois state law.

Woman strips naked and walks screaming down the aisle on Southwest flight to Phoenix: A Southwest Airlines flight from Houston to Phoenix was forced to return to the gate after a passenger stripped naked and began screaming before takeoff on Monday afternoon.

Trump walks back tariffs on a range of goods from Mexico and Canada for one month: President Donald Trump issued exemptions on tariffs for a variety of goods coming into the United States from Mexico and Canada — just two days after he put the sweeping tariffs in place — leaving investors and businesses grappling with the whiplash of his back-and-forth trade policy.

Around the World

Mozambique police fire on protesters with opposition leader’s location unknown: Mozambican police fired on supporters of opposition leader Venancio Mondlane marching in the capital Maputo on Wednesday, injuring at least 10 people, Mondlane’s team and a human rights researcher said.

Trump’s decision to stop intelligence sharing will cost lives, Ukrainians say: Ukraine may have enough weapons to fight Russia unaffected for a few weeks at least, but President Donald Trump’s decision to stop sharing intelligence will cost civilian lives almost immediately, dismayed Ukrainians said Thursday.

Lets Talk Business and Tech

Applebee’s owner Dine Brands to lean on value, marketing to reverse sales declines

Amazon cloud launches service for helping game companies with streaming

Gap shares spike 17% as retailer blows away expectations again, showing turnaround has staying power

Richer, Wiser, Happier

Mortgage rates keep falling. Is now the time to buy a home?: The spring has traditionally been a popular time for homebuyers and sellers. With warmer weather comes greater curb appeal and, thus, a natural opening to sell a home. By purchasing a house now, buyers can also potentially close on the property and move in well before the start of the fall school season. That said, spring homebuying seasons in recent years have been less robust, thanks to a troublesome combination of inflation and elevated mortgage interest rates. Limited housing inventory compounded those issues, too.

3 Reasons Social Security Can’t Be Your Only Retirement Income | Maurie Backman, Fool. Millions of older Americans today get a monthly benefit from Social Security. And for many, that income is crucial. A 2020 report by the National Institute on Retirement Security found that only 7% of retirees have an optimal combination of retirement income sources — Social Security, savings, and a pension. And 40% of older Americans rely only on Social Security income in retirement.

Should you open a high-yield savings account with inflation rising again? Here’s what experts think.: According to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, inflation rose slightly in January 2025, bringing it to its highest point since June 2024. For many consumers, seeing inflation rise brings back fears of the high inflation from just a couple of years ago, which has undoubtedly impacted families’ budgets. And while there’s not much you can do on an individual level to combat inflation, there are things you can do to minimize its impact on your personal finances, including by using a high-yield savings account.

Sports and Showbiz Shenanigans

Jaguars trading WR Christian Kirk to Texans, source says | Giannis Antetokounmpo hits 20K-points milestone in Bucks’ win

Clémence Poésy Joins ‘Neuromancer’ Series at Apple TV+ | Rebel Wilson’s ‘Bride Hard’ Sets Release Date, Reveals First Look

‘She gave me her life savings:’ Kim Kardashian says Khloé helped fund her first divorce | Hannah Berner apologizes for viral Megan The Stallion interview: ‘Careless choice of words’

Life Hacks to Hack Your Life

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