2 Virginia Beach police officers killed in shooting Friday night – 13newsnow.com WVEC
2 Virginia Beach police officers killed in shooting Friday night – 13newsnow.com WVEC
2 Virginia Beach police officers killed in shooting Friday night 13newsnow.com WVECVBPD: Two officers dead after traffic stop Friday night WAVY.com2 Virginia Beach police officers shot and killed during traffic stop CBS News2 Virginia police officers ‘killed in the line of duty’ during traffic stop USA TODAY2 police officers killed in Virginia Beach were ‘shot in the line of duty,’ officials say CBS 6 News Richmond WTVR
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The Young Voices Shaping ‘New Sonic Futures’
The Young Voices Shaping ‘New Sonic Futures’
Times Insider explains who we are and what we do and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together.
Adam Bradley has been listening to R&B for as long as he can remember.
Mr. Bradley is the author of several books on music and the poetics of lyrics and a professor of English and African American studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he founded the Laboratory for Race and Popular Culture. But he fondly recalls the early days of his interest in R&B, playing the 1986 Aretha Franklin song “Jimmy Lee” when he was 11, much to the disapproval of his grandmother, who loved opera and classical music.
“I remember my grandmother distinctly saying, ‘Turn off all that screaming,’” Mr. Bradley said in an interview.
So last fall, when Kurt Soller, an editor at T: The New York Times Style Magazine, called to talk about a new wave of female singer-songwriters reshaping the R&B scene, Mr. Bradley had a lot to say.
He had written frequently about rap, hip-hop and pop, but less so about R&B. “I’ve spent 40-plus years saturated in these sounds, and no one’s really asked me to reflect on my thinking on it until now,” Mr. Bradley said. For his part, Mr. Soller had been interested in thinking about the next generation of R&B musicians, and wanted to brainstorm a multimedia project around the topic for an upcoming issue of the magazine.
Their conversation grew into an article that explores R&B from its inception to the new wave of young musicians making their marks on the genre. In the piece, which appears in this weekend’s Women’s Fashion Issue, Mr. Bradley writes that the “new R&B era is here, with women artists leading the way.”
Mr. Bradley began his reporting by compiling a long list of R&B artists from the past, including Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston, and the present, like Arlo Parks and Summer Walker. He mapped out their connections and influences. And he played their music over and over again, often in the car while driving his children to school in Los Angeles.
“I think my daughters at some point got sick of every car ride,” he said.
But listening with his daughters inspired Mr. Bradley to look back at the musical references that the contemporary artists were drawing upon, to show his children the rich history of R&B. For example, he played them Muni Long’s 2024 song “Make Me Forget” and then the song it’s based on, D’Angelo’s “Untitled (How Does It Feel),” released in 2000.
In his article, Mr. Bradley writes that throughout its history, R&B has often been misunderstood and dismissed.
“We go all the way back into the ’40s, when the actual genre gets its name, and even before,” he said. (R&B is an abbreviation of “rhythm and blues.”) He wrote about how the designation was used as a way to diminish talent, or box in ****** artists, and how lyrics about sex and love were brushed off by some listeners as trite. But R&B, he said, has always been about the feeling conveyed in a singer’s voice.
“Great art, certainly great musical art, is very rarely about breaking ground with new ideas,” he said. “It’s about expression.”
Mr. Soller, who edited the article, said that magazine-making in general was about moments of recognition. And thanks to their longer lead times, he added, monthly magazines like T are uniquely positioned to unite different voices to help readers understand a cultural evolution or shift.
In December, the magazine arranged two photo and video shoots to bring together seven artists. Muni Long, Kehlani, H.E.R., Coco Jones and Victoria Monét were shot with one another in Los Angeles. Jessie Reyez and Jazmine Sullivan were photographed together in New York.
Although a stylist, Milton David Dixon III, dressed the women, Nadia Vellam, T’s photography and video director, said that she didn’t think of the sessions as typical fashion shoots. “It was more a portrait shoot,” she said.
Ms. Vellam brought on the fine-art photographer D’Angelo Lovell Williams. The backdrop of the sets, which included overlapping, translucent fabric and plastic, was designed to create cohesion between the two locations.
The shoots were “a nice opportunity to put these women together in a way they haven’t been before,” Mr. Soller said. “They’ve all met in passing, or competed for the same awards or, in some cases, collaborated or made music together. But the idea of gathering a group together is always really exciting.”
The goal behind a number of T magazine’s projects is to give readers a big-picture view of a trend, tradition or movement. In this case, it may be all three. Claiming the R&B genre today “means centering both the rich tradition of ****** musical practice that stretches back decades upon decades,” Mr. Bradley said, “and also offering up the potential for radical new sonic futures.”
Mr. Bradley crafted a playlist of the songs that define R&B’s new era. Listen here.
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World’s oldest rune stone has more pieces that contain mysterious messages, researchers say
World’s oldest rune stone has more pieces that contain mysterious messages, researchers say
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The world’s oldest dated rune stone, a landmark discovery revealed in 2023, is just one piece of a larger, nearly 2,000-year-old slab, new research has found. Now, scientists in Norway are working to reassemble the ancient puzzle, a process that’s starting to shed light on who carved the mysterious runic writing and what the words mean.
Runes were the building blocks of the first Germanic writing within the first few centuries AD and remained in use in Scandinavia until the late Middle Ages, according to the University of Oslo’s Museum of Cultural History. It’s believed Germanic people drew inspiration from the Roman alphabet to create the characters, according to the museum, but the exact origins of runes and how they were used has remained murky.
Numerous stones carved with runes found across Scandinavia bear fascinating messages, such as one about a powerful Viking queen or a warning for frigid climate change based on past events. But many of these stones are from the age of the Vikings, about AD 800 to 1050, and few examples of early runes exist.
Archaeologists who originally unearthed the oldest known rune stone in 2021 while investigating an ancient grave site in eastern Norway found the large piece covered with traces of runes. But as the fieldwork continued, the researchers uncovered additional sandstone fragments, some bearing similar runic inscriptions, in other nearby graves.
The broken pieces appeared to fit together, with some of the runic script from one stone continuing onto another, and the scientists realized the fragments were all once part of a single stone. The research team published the new findings in the February 3 issue of the journal Antiquity.
It appears the stone was intentionally fragmented, based on the way it was broken, and individual pieces were placed in different burials that occurred later. Over time, rune stones have been used as memorials or to mark events. The use of this particular rune stone ritually changed over time, the latest findings suggested.
The stone pieces — including the original 2021 discovery — ended up buried alongside cremated human remains, which has allowed researchers to confirm that the rune stone fragments are the oldest ever to be documented. Radiocarbon dating suggested the fragments date back to between 50 BC and AD 275.
“Due to the rarity of rune-stones found in clearly datable archaeological contexts, we have had little concrete evidence regarding the early use of runic writing on stone and the age of the earliest rune-stones,” said study coauthor Dr. Kristel Zilmer, professor of runology at the University of Oslo’s Museum of Cultural History, in an email. “The inscribed fragments … provide such a rare exception, and additionally, they feature a remarkable mixture of multiple inscriptions and other markings — unlike anything previously seen on rune-inscribed stones.”
But the fragments pose new mysteries as well, including riddles contained in the enigmatic runic markings, which are proving difficult to translate, as well as surprising clues as to the identities of the carvers themselves. And the findings may help researchers to better understand how rune stones were repurposed over time.
Decoding runes
Archaeologists have found runic inscriptions on various objects, including a bone comb and an iron knife, in addition to rune stones, which had various uses. In any case, translating the runes is difficult because the Germanic languages they represented varied over time.
“Rune-stones likely had both ceremonial and practical intentions,” Zilmer said. “The grave field and the original (single) raised stone suggest a commemorative and dedicatory intent, while subsequent use in a separate burial illuminates later pragmatic and symbolic expressions.”
The research team initially began investigating the Svingerud grave field — a source of multiple past archaeological finds — in Norway’s Hole municipality (25 miles, or 40 kilometers, northwest of Oslo) as part of “rescue excavations” that took place ahead of the construction of a new highway and railroad, said lead study author Dr. Steinar Solheim, associate professor of archaeology at the University of Oslo’s Museum of Cultural History.
The inscriptions on the stones recovered from the Hole site are particularly intriguing because they appear to reflect multiple acts of inscribing, “showing a fascinating mix of intentional, comprehensible writing, attempts at writing and script-like or ornamental motifs,” Zilmer said.
The unknown markings may represent early variants of runes, but it’s difficult for the researchers to tell when the different inscriptions were made.
One sequence on the Svingerud stone, now known as the Hole 2 stone, in particular stands out: the single word, or name, of Idiberug. The researchers can’t trace an exact meaning, so they believe it was the name of a person, perhaps a woman.
The clearest inscription is on the Hole 3 stone, and appears to be the rune inscriber’s signature.
“The text begins with the word ‘I’, followed by the name of the inscriber, then a verb indicating the activity (‘wrote’) and finally the word ‘rune’, which refers to the inscription as a whole,” Zilmer said.
“The name of the rune-carver is challenging to detect due to faint, ambiguously shaped runes and weathered surface areas,” Zilmer added. “We have proposed a few possible readings. The most intriguing feature is the ending with -u, which suggests that this could have been a woman’s name. If so, this would be the earliest known record of a female rune-inscriber.”
The Hole 3 stone’s runes suggest the inscriber may have been a woman, based on analysis by the researchers. – George Alexis Pantos/Kristel Zilmer
In runic script, the ending -u is feminine. The authors are hesitant to link the potential female inscriber on the Hole 3 stone with the likely female name of Idiberug on the Hole 2 stone at this point in their research.
The team’s work to uncover more about numerous additional small fragments uncovered in 2023 remains ongoing, and the researchers are still trying to determine the best way to put them together.
“The challenge lies in the fact that this is not a complete puzzle — we are missing significant portions, and there are evident gaps,” Zilmer said. “However, we believe it should be possible to determine how many of the smaller fragments could be connected to the larger fragments or to each other.”
Dr. Lisbeth Imer, curator and senior researcher at the National Museum of Denmark, believes the stones will cause researchers to question their understanding of rune stones, which typically served as monuments to commemorate names of people and prevent them from fading with time. Imer was not involved in the new study but specializes in the study of runes.
“But the Svingerud stone challenges this perception, because it was carved with runes, then destroyed, then carved with a new inscription, etc.,” Imer said in an email. “So perhaps, we should not view it as a rune stone but as something completely different. There are still mysteries to be solved here.”
Uncovering ancient stones
Three grave mounds were known at the Svingerud site from previous research, but the archaeologists found cremations within a fourth mound and two flat graves during the new excavations.
The team began by excavating cremation pits, or simple graves with little or no visible markers above ground, that were common from the late Bronze Age (1750 to 500 BC) to the Roman Iron Age (AD 1 to 400). The crew uncovered the cremated bones of an adult, charcoal and other grave goods, as well as a reddish-brown stone slab bearing runic writing, all tucked beneath a younger grave mound.
The Hole 2 stone was the first rune-covered fragment unearthed in 2021 from the site. The inscriptions include a word that could possibly be a female name, according to the researchers. – George Alexis Pantos/Kristel Zilmer
The team also uncovered pottery, brooches, belts, needles and bone comb fragments, and beginning in 2022, they continued to spot sandstone fragments bearing traces of inscriptions. One, named Hole 3, had identifiable runes and lines running across it. The runes provided the start and end of inscriptions on two larger fragments found nearby.
The largest fragment the team discovered, called Hole 1, was found vertically placed in a grave and doesn’t show any signs of runic inscription, leading researchers to believe it was once the base of an upright standing stone.
While studying Hole 2 and Hole 3 in March 2023, “it quickly became evident that they fit together,” suggesting the stone was initially intended to mark one grave before it was broken apart to commemorate later burials, Zilmer said. It’s also possible the separate graves are connected in some way that remains unknown, according to the research.
Imer believes the stone pieces are an extremely interesting find because they were located in a grave field with the opportunity to conduct radiocarbon dating.
In a January 2011 study, Imer suggested the earliest rune stones could be from the Late Roman *******, between AD 160 and 375, “because of stylistic evidence regarding the shape of the runes and the linguistics, and that the earliest rune stones were probably erected in Norway,” she said.
“I am very happy to see that the Norwegian scholars are now able to confirm that chronology,” Imer said. “The carbon-14 dating that they have succeeded with regarding the Svingerud stone lies between 50 BC and 275 AD, which covers a rather broad range of time, but it fits quite neatly with the earliest inscriptions that we know from other types of material and objects: brooches, weapon and other personal equipment.”
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The Galaxy S25 Ultra Is Now 70% Off, Samsung Is Clearing Out Stock – Gizmodo
The Galaxy S25 Ultra Is Now 70% Off, Samsung Is Clearing Out Stock – Gizmodo
The Galaxy S25 Ultra Is Now 70% Off, Samsung Is Clearing Out Stock GizmodoOrder your new Samsung Galaxy S25 device and get up to $1,200 in savings USA TODAYSamsung Galaxy S25 review: the smallest top-tier Android left The GuardianSamsung US brings back free storage upgrades for the Galaxy S25 series – GSMArena.com news GSMArena.comGalaxy S25 arrives in Japan faster than ever as Samsung takes on Apple, Xiaomi Sammy Fans
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****** frees six more hostages in Gaza
****** frees six more hostages in Gaza
****** freed six hostages from Gaza, the last living Israeli captives slated for release under the first phase of a fragile ceasefire accord, in exchange for hundreds of ************ prisoners and detainees.
Eliya Cohen, 27, Omer Shem Tov, 22, and Omer Wenkert, 23, all seized from the site of the Nova music festival in ******’ October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, were handed over to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza, to be transported to Israeli forces.
Dozens of militants stood guard in a crowd that had gathered to watch the handover on Saturday, as masked ****** men armed with automatic rifles stood on each side of the three men, who appeared thin and pale, as they were made to wave from the stage.
Tal Shoham, 40 and Avera Mengistu, 39, were earlier released in Rafah in southern Gaza.
The ******-directed releases, which have included public ceremonies in which captives are taken on stage and some made to speak, have faced mounting criticism, including from the United Nations, which denounced the “parading of hostages”.
****** rejected the criticism on Saturday, describing the events as a solemn show of ************ unity. It later handed over a sixth hostage, Hisham Al-Sayed, 36, to the Red Cross in Gaza City with no public ceremony.
Al-Sayed and Mengistu have been held by ****** since they entered Gaza of their own accord around a decade ago. Shoham was abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri along with his wife and two children, who were freed in a brief truce in November 2023.
The six are the last living hostages from a group of 33 due to be freed in the first stage of the three-phase ceasefire deal between Israel and ****** that took effect on January 19. Sixty-three more captives, less than half of whom are believed to be alive, remain in Gaza.
Shem Tov embraced his parents tightly, laughing and crying, “How I dreamt of this,” he said, in a video distributed by the Israeli military.
Shoham smiled, waved and gave a thumbs up to his friends who had gathered outside the hospital where he was taken.
“We’ve been waiting for Tal every day since October 7th,” said Yael Avner, 50, one of Shoham’s friends.
“It’s a great relief just to see him there, himself just coming back home.”
Hundreds of Israelis gathered in the rain in what has become known as Hostages Square in Tel Aviv. Some lit candles under photos of the Bibas family, whose bodies were returned this week.
In return for the hostages, Israel is expected to release 602 ************ prisoners and detainees held in its jails.
They will include 445 Gazans rounded up by Israeli forces during the war, as well as dozens of convicts serving lengthy or life terms for attacks that killed dozens of Israelis in the ************ uprising two decades ago.
The fragile truce in the war between Israel and ****** militants had been threatened by the misidentification of a body released on Thursday as that of Shiri Bibas, who was kidnapped with her two young sons and her husband in the ****** 2023 attack.
However, late on Friday, ****** handed over another body, which her family said had been confirmed to be hers.
“Last night, our Shiri was returned home,” her family said in a statement, which said she had been identified by Israel’s Institute of Forensic Medicine.
The Bibas family has been an emblem of the trauma suffered by Israel on that day. Her husband Yarden, seized and held separately from his family, was freed on February 1.
The Israeli military said intelligence assessments and forensic analysis of the bodies of 10-month-old Kfir Bibas and his four-year-old brother Ariel showed both had been killed deliberately by their captors, “in cold blood.”
Israel’s Army Radio, citing the forensic conclusions, said Bibas was likely slain with her children.
****** says the Bibas family was killed by an Israeli air strike.
The ceasefire has brought a pause in the fighting, but prospects of a definitive end to the war remain unclear. ****** has been at pains to demonstrate that it remains in control in Gaza despite heavy losses in the war.
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A father and his young son got lost while hiking in Utah. An abandoned backpack helped keep them alive
A father and his young son got lost while hiking in Utah. An abandoned backpack helped keep them alive
The woman’s call came around 7:20 p.m. last Sunday.
Her husband and his 12-year-old son had gone hiking on the Red Mountain trail in southern Utah. She began to worry after the pair failed to show up hours later at a spot where she was supposed to pick them up, according to Sgt. Jacob Paul, who supervises the volunteer search and rescue team for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
Two search teams were dispatched to scour the treacherous terrain, Paul said. A private medical transport helicopter also assisted for a time but could not locate the missing hikers. With a description of the father’s boots, search teams were able to find footprints, along with a smaller set of tracks, along Red Mountain trail. For more than three hours they followed the tracks, calling out the names of the 33-year-old hiker and his son. Eventually, Paul said, searchers started hearing voices but echoes and darkness prevented them from pinpointing the hikers’ location.
Lost and stranded on a narrow ledge on a frigid night, the father came upon a backpack that – like manna from heaven – was filled with emergency blankets, water, snacks, a small tent and other supplies. The backpack had been left behind by a teen hiker who had to be rescued more than a month earlier after getting lost near the same location, according to Paul and the teenager who assembled the supplies.
“I can’t say 100% that it saved their lives because they may have survived, but they were on that ledge for at least 13 hours before we were able to get them off, and had they not had that bag, they definitely would have had some pretty severe cold-related symptoms,” Paul said.
“That bag essentially kept them from being harmed in any way.”
‘It didn’t turn out the way we wanted’
Members of Washington County search and rescue team looking for a father and son who went missing during a hike last weekend. – Washington County Sheriff Search & Rescue
The red rock mountains of southern Utah are popular among adventure seekers, offering spectacular sand dunes, slot canyons and sandstone cliffs that can be forbidding to even experienced hikers because of hazards from rough terrain and foul weather.
The father who went hiking with his son last weekend agreed to talk about the trek but asked that they not be identified. He has become concerned about his son reliving the experience. “He’s like, dad, I just don’t want to hear anymore about it,” the father said. “It was a tough situation.”
The father said they decided to take the hike the previous night. “It’s a typical trail that we have taken so many times,” he said. On a navigator app on his phone, he showed his wife their expected route.
“I told her, ‘Look, we’re going to start right here. We’re going to end up out there. And we’ll meet each other in the park around this time,’” he said. “You know, it didn’t turn out the way we wanted.”
The boy and his father set out on their hike shortly before 10 a.m. on Sunday. “Everything was going well. We got to the overlook that we were trying to check out,” he said. The plan was to meet his wife at a parking lot on the trail by 2 p.m. at the latest. On the way back, he said, he decided to use the navigator app on his phone.
“The application ended up sending us somewhere else on the other side of the mountains where we ended up getting stranded,” he said. “We were actually walking back, talking about what we were going to do the moment we got home. All that time I was depending on my GPS, and come to find out my GPS took me somewhere on the most rocky places.”
On previous hikes, the father said, he always went “old school,” relying on a compass, footsteps and trails to guide him.
“But the one and only time that I decided to use GPS, we took a turn for the worse,” he said. The navigator app not only led them astray, he said, but also drained the battery on his phone.
“While we were trying to look for shelter,” the father said, “we came across this backpack.”
Inside, there was a space blanket designed to retain heat, an MRE and snacks, and other items that would help them get through the night.
“It was a miracle,” he said.
What he expected to be a three to four-hour hike turned into an ordeal of more than 20 hours. He said his focus was keeping his son safe and warm until the next morning.
“It was a scary situation but right in that moment, you cannot panic,” he said. “My son was handling it really well. For a 12-year-old, you know, to go through that situation and remain calm until the rescue came. He was pretty brave about it. He does tell me that he has overcome his fears but that next time, even if it’s just a small hike, let’s bring our tent and the rest of the stuff we need.”
‘Oh my gosh, that’s my son’s backpack’
Levi Dittmann with members of the team that rescued him last month. – Courtesy Gretchen Dittmann
As the search and rescue team, totaling about 20 people, scoured the mountainous trail late Sunday, the sheriff’s office learned the closest DPS helicopter was down with a maintenance issue, according to Paul. Instead, another helicopter was summoned from Salt Lake City. It took about two hours for that helicopter to reach the search site.
On Sunday night, Gretchen Dittmann was sitting in the hot tub with her husband when a helicopter flew over their home near Red Mountain.
“We knew they were searching for someone,” she said. “They’ve had other searches on this mountain because it just tricks people. They think they’re going down a path and then they kind of get stuck on these ledges.”
Dittmann even called her 15-year-old son, Levi, who got lost while hiking alone on January 3. He was rescued the following morning. She asked Levi to pray for whoever was lost.
The next morning, on a Facebook page of a southern Utah emergency group, Dittmann said she read that a father and son had been rescued and that “they had found this miraculous backpack.”
“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s my son’s backpack,’” she said.
On that Friday afternoon early last month, Dittmann said, Levi set out alone on a hike. He later FaceTimed his mother from the top of the mountain.
“OK, well, make sure you’re down before dark,” his mother remembered telling him. “I didn’t think he was going by himself, but I haven’t been up there so I didn’t know how precarious it is.”
But Levi got lost after taking a different route back. At one point, his 28-year-old brother hiked up the mountain to search for him. Dittmann said Levi had set up a small camp with his equipment but packed up after learning his brother was coming. Levi hurled his backpack to a ledge below because he didn’t think he could safely climb down with the large bag.
The battery on the teen’s phone was waning, according to his mother. Around midnight, Levi made another call home. He was upset. Dittmann told Levi to stay where he was and either his father or a search team would find him using the GPS coordinates provided by the teen’s brother.
“We were worried… He hadn’t really been up there before but it wasn’t a cold night. So, you know, we weren’t too worried that he was going to die or anything. I definitely didn’t sleep that night until they got him back down from the mountain.”
Levi said he packed one or two days worth of snacks – including energy and protein bars -along with a sleeping bag and emergency blankets, among other items. He said he wanted to train himself to hike with the weight of the large backpack.
When he learned his brother was coming, Levi said, he decided to move further down the mountain. He threw his backpack to a ledge below before realizing the climb down would be too precarious. He said he would not be rescued until hours later.
“I’m glad that it wasn’t for nothing, that I could help someone,” he said of the backpack.
Dittmann, referring to the discovery of the bag by the lost hikers, said, “I’m a Christian. It’s a total God story. It’s a miracle. The whole time, it’s been like, ‘Why’d you throw your bag down? Why did you do that?’ And now it just feels like God’s handprint on it. Throw your backpack down. It’s for later use.”
After a search team led Levi down from the mountain, Dittmann had her son take a photo with them. “We have to take this picture. This is a memory that you’re not going to forget,” she told Levi.
Most hikers in similar situations don’t survive
“It’s a pretty amazing story. There’s hundreds of square miles in that Red Mountain wilderness that they could have gotten lost in. And they just happened to get stuck on the exact ledge that the backpack was sitting on,” Paul said of the father and son.
Just after 6:20 a.m. Monday, a thermal imaging camera on the DPS helicopter recorded the father and son covered with an emergency blanket on a narrow ledge.
“Let’s get down and take a closer look at that,” a rescuer on the helicopter is heard saying in a video. “If we can just come down low. Don’t get in close or we’re going to blow them off.”
Thermal imaging shows the father waving at rescuers on the helicopter after a hike last weekend. – Utah Department of Public Safety
The boy and his father waved at the helicopter as the blanket fluttered in the wind. The helicopter left to get another crew member and prepare to hoist the hikers up from the ledge. Later, a rescuer was lowered on a long line – retrieving the boy first, followed by his father.
“The moment I saw the size of that line, the rope line, I was like, please don’t snap,” the father recalled with a laugh.
After the rescue, Paul returned the backpack to Levi.
Levi Dittmann’s backpack was returned after the rescue of the stranded hikers. – Courtesy Gretchen Dittmann
Travis Heggie, a professor at Ohio’s Bowling Green State University and former public risk management specialist for the National Park Service, lamented that most Americans going into wilderness areas such as southern Utah are inexperienced.
“When you are planning for such a trek it is best to over plan and speak to rangers or others that know the area. This young man did try to do that. However, he broke another cardinal rule and went out by himself,” Heggie said of Levi, adding that hikers should go out in groups of no less than three people. “Even if you are experienced, it’s so easy to get turned around in wilderness areas like southern Utah.”
The father and son were fortunate, Heggie said. Many hikers in similar situations don’t survive, he said.
“They were just lucky that they found this old backpack from another hiker who had tried to be prepared and that helped them survive,” said Heggie, who’s researching hiking fatalities on the Angels Landing Trail in Utah’s Zion National Park. “They are lucky to be alive… You really need to know where you’re going and what you’re getting yourself into and prepared for it.”
Paul said Washington County search and rescue, with about 100 volunteers, has one of the highest call rates in Utah – between 130 and 180 calls a year. There were at least two heat-related deaths in the area last year, and dozens of severe injuries from falls, he said.
“Every few days we’re going out on one of these calls,” Paul said.
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Advice for Trump, 60 years at Berkshire helm
Advice for Trump, 60 years at Berkshire helm
Legendary investor Warren Buffett opined on a wide range of topics in his much-anticipated annual letter to shareholders, including the U.S.’ worsening fiscal problems, advice for the Trump administration as well as his 60-year career at Berkshire Hathaway . Here are the best highlights from Buffett’s 2024 annual letter: The “Oracle of Omaha” revealed that Berkshire last year paid $26.8 billion in taxes, about 5% of what all of corporate America paid. He urged the current administration to spend taxpayers’ money wisely and maintain a stable currency. So thank you, Uncle Sam. Someday your nieces and nephews at Berkshire hope to send you even larger payments than we did in 2024. Spend it wisely. Take care of the many who, for no fault of their own, get the short straws in life. They deserve better. And never forget that we need you to maintain a stable currency and that result requires both wisdom and vigilance on your part. Buffett also brought attention to the country’s spiraling fiscal problems. The budget deficit topped $1.8 trillion in fiscal 2024, with interest expense topping $1 trillion for the first time ever due to high long-term yields. Paper money can see its value evaporate if fiscal folly prevails. In some countries, this reckless practice has become habitual, and, in our country’s short history, the U.S. has come close to the edge. Fixed-coupon bonds provide no protection against runaway currency. The 94-year-old Berkshire CEO stressed that he still prefers owning equities to cash despite his recent aggressive stock-selling spree. The Omaha-based conglomerate net sold equities for a ninth consecutive quarter in the final ******* of last year, while amassing a record cash pile of $334 billion . Despite what some commentators currently view as an extraordinary cash position at Berkshire, the great majority of your money remains in equities. That preference won’t change. Berkshire shareholders can rest assured that we will forever deploy a substantial majority of their money in equities – mostly American equities although many of these will have international operations of significance. Berkshire will never prefer ownership of cash-equivalent assets over the ownership of good businesses, whether controlled or only partially owned. In this year’s letter , Buffett endorsed designated successor Greg Abel in his ability to pick equity opportunities, even comparing him to the late Charlie Munger. He added that Abel will carry on the tradition of writing annual letters when Buffett is no longer at the helm. Often, nothing looks compelling; very infrequently we find ourselves knee-deep in opportunities. Greg has vividly shown his ability to act at such times as did Charlie. At 94, it won’t be long before Greg Abel replaces me as CEO and will be writing the annual letters. Greg shares the Berkshire creed that a “report” is what a Berkshire CEO annually owes to owners. And he also understands that if you start fooling your shareholders, you will soon believe your own baloney and be fooling yourself as well. Reflecting on his admirable career of more than 60 years at Berkshire, Buffett pointed out a few crucially winning decisions that helped transform the conglomerate, including acquiring auto insurer Geico and hiring Ajit Jain to oversee its insurance business. I’ve also had many pleasant surprises in both the potential of the business as well as the ability and fidelity of the manager. And our experience is that a single winning decision can make a breathtaking difference over time. (Think GEICO as a business decision, Ajit Jain as a managerial decision and my luck in finding Charlie Munger as a one-of-a-kind partner, personal advisor and steadfast friend.) Mistakes fade away; winners can forever blossom. The famed value investor noted that Berkshire will be a long-term investor in the five Japanese trading houses he began buying nearly six years go. He revealed that Berkshire has reached an agreement with the companies to own beyond the initial 10% ceiling. Our holdings of the five are for the very long term, and we are committed to supporting their boards of directors. From the start, we also agreed to keep Berkshire’s holdings below 10% of each company’s shares. But, as we approached this limit, the five companies agreed to moderately relax the ceiling. Over time, you will likely see Berkshire’s ownership of all five increase somewhat.
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Warren Buffett celebrates Berkshire Hathaway's success over 60 years as CEO while admitting mistakes – The Associated Press
Warren Buffett celebrates Berkshire Hathaway's success over 60 years as CEO while admitting mistakes – The Associated Press
Warren Buffett celebrates Berkshire Hathaway’s success over 60 years as CEO while admitting mistakes The Associated PressWarren Buffett says Berkshire Hathaway ‘did better than I expected’ last year in latest letter to shareholders Yahoo FinanceWarren Buffett amasses more cash and sells more stock, but doesn’t explain why in annual letter CNBC
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Forget GTA 6, Gaming Industry Analyst Claims Fortnite Is the Real Challenge to New Titles
Forget GTA 6, Gaming Industry Analyst Claims Fortnite Is the Real Challenge to New Titles
GTA 6 is one of the most, if not the most anticipated games in the last decade. However, according to industry analyst and Circana’s executive director Mat Piscatella, the biggest challenge for new AAA titles isn’t other AAA games, it’s Fortnite. And honestly, that makes a lot of sense because have you seen how many people play it?
You may hate it but it’s very successful. | Image Credit: Rockstar Games
Despite being nearly eight years old, Epic Games’ free-to-play title has easily been the biggest and most successful game of the last decade. Piscatella says that the grip it has on the majority of gamers is something that games like GTA 6 will have to fight against.
GTA 6 is going to go up against Fortnite for market presence
Rockstar’s game will sell, but what about post-launch? | Image Credit: Epic Games
Speaking on Kinda Funny Games, Piscatella revealed that 30% of players won’t buy a single game this year, while only 12% purchase a game every month. He said that the majority of gamers only buy one or two titles annually, and the games that they do buy, are the big annual releases like Madden, EA FC, or Call of Duty.
According to Piscatella, Fortnite is the biggest threat to any new game trying to succeed. He stated that Fortnite is the “biggest competitor” to any new game entering the market. And if you think about it, he’s right. If the data he claims is true, then developers are fighting Epic Games to get their game bought by the average gamer.
The biggest competitor to any new video game is Fortnite. I will die on that hill, no matter what it is, because you have to fight Fortnite before you fight anything else to get your game seen and purchased, and that’s the biggest challenge happening right now.
Much like other live service titles these days, Fortnite is just one of those games that take away your time for multiple hours daily. Games like this demand and acquire so much player engagement that it leaves little to no time for other games. If you play games like League of Legends, Genshin Impact, or Valorant, you’re probably too familiar with this.
Mat Piscatella broke down how most gamers don’t buy games. Casuals are the majority, but only buy a couple of games a year. Us hardcore gamers are the *********. Also, Fortnite has the industry in a chokehold. pic.twitter.com/e0Tb58pEi4
— Dirt Griggity (@Griggity) February 21, 2025
It certainly doesn’t help that games like this are free to play more often than not. They get new game modes, collaborations with other franchises, and constant balance changes that keep the game fresh. Developers trying to sell $70 games, or possibly $100 in GTA 6‘s case, are fighting an uphill battle when players can get just as much entertainment from a free-to-play title.
The domination has possibly affected hardware sales too
What could it mean for the future? | Image Credit: Epic Games
The influence of Fortnite has apparently reached the hardware level of the ecosystem. Circana reports that video game hardware sales dropped by 45% over the last year. We can assume that one of the reasons for this decline is that players are less inclined to upgrade their consoles when games like Fortnite continue to run smoothly on existing hardware.
While Grand Theft Auto 6 is expected to be a massive hit, it still faces an uphill battle against Fortnite’s dominance. Rockstar’s game will likely sell tens of millions of copies, but retaining players long-term is another challenge entirely. One thing we can hope for is for a potential replacement for GTA Online to take off.
Despite occasional live-service successes like Marvel Rivals, the market has seen far more failures, with PlayStation’s Concord being a recent example. The challenge for new titles isn’t just about delivering quality gameplay—it’s about convincing players to leave an ecosystem they’ve already invested time and money into.
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2 police officers killed during traffic stop in Virginia Beach
2 police officers killed during traffic stop in Virginia Beach
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — Two police officers in Virginia were shot and killed during a traffic stop late Friday night, authorities said.
The Virginia Beach Police Department confirmed the fatalities in a statement posted to social media on Saturday. No other information was immediately available.
“We are unable to share much information at this time as this is still very much an active investigation,” the police statement said. “However, we want to assure the community that there is no active threat.”
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The police department added that they are asking the public for patience as they work on the investigation and “grieve the loss of their own.”
A spokesperson for the police department did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
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‘It’s a big deal’: Current and former Yankees react to the team’s new facial hair policy
‘It’s a big deal’: Current and former Yankees react to the team’s new facial hair policy
TAMPA, Fla. — Hours before the New York Yankees began their first spring training game of 2025, owner Hal Steinbrenner announced a new facial-hair policy that will change the way the club looks moving forward.
The 49-year rule implemented by George Steinbrenner, Hal’s father, that banned beards is now a thing of the past. Yankees players can have well-groomed beards starting now. Yankees catcher Austin Wells, who grows a thick beard in the offseason, was still processing the news shortly after it was announced.
“I think it’s always been a conversation,” Wells said, “But, I don’t think it was ever something that might actually happen. When we got out of the meeting and it was like, ‘Breaking news: Yankees changing facial hair policy,’ it was like, ‘Wow. I guess that really is breaking news. It’s a big deal.’
Here’s what some current and former Yankees are saying about the franchise’s amended policy:
Austin Wells, catcher
My initial reaction is I feel weird. I don’t know how to go forward. I think it’s not only a policy, but it’s the tradition and history of the Yankees. With anything new, there’s an adjustment *******. But for me, I felt very weird this morning. I don’t know how to react.
I’ve told myself since I was drafted that it was a privilege to have to shave. I brainwashed myself into believing that and thinking that. I think that’s probably why I feel weird about it today because now that it’s a possibility, everything I was telling myself about shaving is not true.
Gerrit Cole, starting pitcher
Look, it’s getting competitive for players. A lot of teams’ valuations are relatively close. Every once in a while somebody blows somebody out of the water because they really want the player. But I think (Steinbrenner) is looking for any edge he can get. Certainly, he doesn’t want to turn anyone away who could be impactful for us, but at the same time maintaining our team look. I think shaving can get a bit mundane through the whole year, and uncomfortable at times, but by and large, every year that I’ve been here, we all generally like the idea that we look good. We look clean. We look neat and tidy. I don’t think those aspects are going to go away, but just a little bit of individual freedom in terms of being more comfortable is a nice balance.
The only information we were offered from Cash is that we’re not trying to look like Duck Dynasty. No diss against Duck Dynasty. They’re grinding in the woods all the time. You don’t really have another option. But that was the only clarification we got.
Marcus Stroman, starting pitcher
Unfortunately, I can’t grow a beard. I wish I could. That won’t apply to me much. These (cheeks) will stay bare. I can’t go there. I wish I could grow a beard more than anything, but pretty cool to see the change, for sure.
I think it’s awesome by Hal to make that change and I think everyone here is going to love it. Also, I think getting free agents will be a non-factor, as far as when Yankees would kind of pop in your head and [players would] be like, ‘Oh, I can’t rock my (beard),’ I don’t think that will be a thing anymore. So, yeah, all around, I think it’s pretty awesome.
Aaron Boone, Yankees manager
I certainly support the decision. It was well thought out. A lot of conversations in the years leading up and then, even more earnestly, in the weeks leading up to it. I’m certainly supportive of that. I know it’s not a decision made lightly, but I think it’s the right thing to do. I think it’s been something that’s been an important part of our organization for a long, long time and meaningful to a lot of people. I think there was a lot of careful consideration. I know Hal has talked to a lot of people over the years about it, past and present.
We never want to miss out on one player. If we miss out on one player because of (this), that’s too many. We don’t want anyone that we’re going to be involved in wanting to be here — we don’t want that to come into play at all.
Clay Holmes, former Yankees closer, current Mets starting pitcher
It’s something that was always talked about there. You always kind of imagine it changing some day, but that day kind of felt far away. It’s somewhat surprising because of how long the rule has been around. It’s a cool thing for the players. It’ll be cool to see who grows a beard out.
Gleyber Torres, former Yankees second baseman, current Tigers second baseman
No way. Really? That’s true? It’s kind of surprising to me but I think it’s fine because I know many guys there want to get some beards.
Gleyber Torres arrived at Tigers camp wearing a beard that would not have been allowed during his tenure with the Yankees. (Junfu Han – Imagn Images)
My wife really liked it. My family really liked it. First time I’ve done my beard, and I’m really happy to play with it.
CC Sabathia, Hall of Fame Yankees pitcher
Did someone say new rules? pic.twitter.com/qFXAqO9YYs
— CC Sabathia (@CC_Sabathia) February 21, 2025
Cameron Maybin, former Yankees outfielder
This may seem small, but this is ******* than some may think. Good for Hal changing it up.
Carlos Mendoza, Mets manager and former Yankees coach
Good for them. It goes to show you that they’re willing to make adjustments. They felt that was something they probably needed to do and they did it.
Johnny Damon, former Yankees player
I think we need to keep it how it was, with respect to Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Derek Jeter and Mariano. Jorge Posada should be a Hall of Famer in my book and the Yankees are a tradition. Let’s keep it. I cut these lovely locks off many years ago (points to long hair) because George Steinbrenner was such a great human being, a great boss, that I wasn’t even going to question it.
(Top photo of Austin Wells: New York Yankees/Getty Images)
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Amid the 4 Nations noise, Canada reclaims its throne as ‘the king of hockey’
Amid the 4 Nations noise, Canada reclaims its throne as ‘the king of hockey’
They crossed the 49th parallel, from Manitoba into North Dakota — and drove through day and night — across eight states and more than 3,000 kilometers, according to the ********* odometer on their Nissan Murano.
Two canceled flights meant they were desperate. So they piled into a car, stopping only for gas. And, despite a two-hour detour through Milwaukee, off a middle-of-the-night wrong turn, they made it to Boston in 30 hours.
They were five among the thousands of Canadians who lined up outside TD Garden hours before the start of the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off final between Canada and the United States.
“We’re here for the Maple Leaf,” said Matt McLeod. And they were there for their childhood friend Seth Jarvis, who was living his dream of playing for Canada.
But at the most hyped international hockey game in more than a decade, everyone had their reasons to care. And beyond the 60 minutes and overtime, it felt like there was so much more than a win at stake.
With more than a decade of built-up tension between the two rivals, heat on the ice was inevitable. But for many, the championship game wasn’t about bragging rights alone. A looming trade war between the United States and Canada, following tariff threats by President Donald Trump and repeated claims that he’d like the sovereign neighbor to become the country’s 51st state, created an unparalleled level of hostility between the two nations.
********* fans booed the American national anthem when the teams met in a round-robin match in Montreal, which was followed by three fights in the first nine seconds of the game.
It was impossible to ignore the wider implications, especially when the U.S. team’s general manager Bill Guerin said his players used the political tensions as inspiration and invited Trump to attend the final. Before the championship, Trump encouraged the Americans while taking another shot at Canada becoming the 51st state and referring to ********* Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a governor.
Outside TD Garden, that tension was evident hours before the opening face off.
“Welcome to the USA, Canada’s 11th Province,” read a massive sign carried by Ian MacKinnon, as fans dressed in Canada and USA jerseys shuffled in a ****** that stretched down Causeway Street. He’s an American, by way of grandparents who first immigrated to Nova Scotia. MacKinnon doesn’t care much about sports, but he biked there with his sign in hopes of making a point and maybe offering a touch of levity.
“The way the series started with fist fights in the first 10 seconds, I felt maybe tonight I could make people smile,” MacKinnon said.
And most people did, while some tossed light jabs.
“51st state!” one man yelled as he passed in line.
“U-S-A! U-S-A!” chanted another.
One fan tried to rip the sign from MacKinnon’s hand, but he held firm.
In the concourse, American fans posed with Mark Goggin, who’d painted his face red and white, with temporary tattoos of a cartoon moose and beaver on each check. Goggin crossed the border from his home in Windsor to catch a flight from Detroit with his son. As innocent and playful as most of the interactions between the fans were, Goggin felt the wider implications that the game carried seemed somewhat lost on his American counterparts. They didn’t seem to appreciate just how serious Canadians have taken the threats and taunts, he said. It might be fun and games to them, but in Canada the aggression has spurred a rush of patriotism.
“Canadians are so pumped to win this game. Because we can’t beat Trump, right?” Goggin said. “It’s the only thing we can beat them at — hockey.”
His eyes reddened as he described the emotion many Canadians carried into the final.
“It’s so big for Canadians,” Goggin said. “It’s more than a game.”
Mark Goggin’s rooting interests were easily discerned. (Dan Robson / The Athletic)
Harjinder Sidhu flew from Winnipeg to attend the game with his brother and his 5-year-old nephew, who traveled from Edmonton. The 30-year-old said the outside context matters.
“Canada will never be the 51st state. … It’s very disrespectful,” he said. “Our soldiers have died next to their soldiers in wars, which we do happily because they’re our brothers. But that brother is acting a little too aggressive right now. And today we’ll show them who’s the king of hockey.”
For more than a century, hockey has been Canada’s game. But it has long been anticipated that the Americans would catch up and possibly surpass Canada. Recent trends underscore that reality. The majority of ********* NHLers play for American teams. And as has been pointed out many times, no ********* team has won a Stanley Cup since 1993.
That tension filled the TD Garden too. It hung uncomfortably when Wayne Gretzky, hockey’s greatest icon, stepped onto the ice representing Canada in a pregame ceremony wearing a suit, to respectful stick taps and cheers. Mike Eruzione, captain of the 1980 Miracle on Ice team, followed to a riotous roar wearing a U.S.A. jersey — fist-bumping the American players and waving his hands to pump up the crowd as they chanted “U.S.A.”
It wasn’t lost on many Canadians watching that Gretzky, star of the famed 1987 Canada Cup winning team, attended President Trump’s election victory party at Mar-a-Lago and his recent inauguration ceremony.
A smattering of boos greeted the ********* national anthem, but a chorus rose alongside singer Chantal Kreviazuk, who made her own comment on the moment by changing the lyrics in a verse from “in all of us command” to “that only us command.” Kreviazuk later posted on Instagram that she believed Canadians needed to stand up and use their voices in the face of a “potentially consequential moment.”
“We should express our outrage in the face of any abuses of power,” she wrote.
A hockey game happened, and a thrilling one, with a crowd heavily on the American side.
But after the most dramatic show of international men’s hockey in more than a decade — sealed by Connor McDavid’s overtime winning goal — it was Canadians piling on the ice and embracing in the stands. American fans streamed out into the concourse as “O Canada” played once more, to fireworks around a giant ********* flag. The red-and-white jerseys filled the lower bowl, surrounded by empty seats.
Drew Doughty sang as loud as he could. It had been so long since he’d last felt this moment, and he didn’t know if he’d ever feel it again.
And later, in the locker room, the ********* players belted “We Are The Champions” by Queen, Molson ********* and Moet sloshing on the floor. Their reign as the world’s greatest, secured for at least another year.
Above, in the concourse, a chant of “Can-na-Da, Ca-na-da” echoed as fans marched toward the exits, and out onto Causeway Street.
A woman in a grey sweater with a U.S. flag on it shouted after them: “You’ll be the 51st state soon.”
But no one bothered to listen.
As the champagne dried on the locker room floor, and other ********* players reveled in the hallway en route to the team’s afterparty at a nearby bar, Mark Stone acknowledged that the political tension weighed on the team throughout the series.
“I definitely read and saw everything, Saturday to tonight,” Stone said. “It’s hard to stay off that stuff, the way the world is with social media. This game meant a lot to us, a lot to our country, and we’re proud to put on that jersey and get a win for our country.”
In the hall, Brad Marchand, Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon posed for a photo together. MacKinnon held up a ********* flag. Crosby, the captain, clutched the 4 Nations Cup.
Seth Jarvis and the friends who’d driven from Winnipeg, piled in to pose for some photos, too. They wore the sweaters of Crosby, McDavid, MacKinnon and Mitch Marner — just a few among the thousands that still filled Boston’s streets, shouting and laughing and cheering, for a victory that felt so much ******* than a game.
(Illustration: Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic. Photos: Dan Robson / The Athletic; Brian Babineau / 4NFO/World Cup of Hockey; Bruce Bennett, Ben Jackson / 4NFO/World Cup of Hockey via Getty Images)
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Buffett says Berkshire will continue to increase investment in Japan trading houses
Buffett says Berkshire will continue to increase investment in Japan trading houses
Warren Buffett, chairman and chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway, photographed during a 2011 trip to Japan.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Berkshire Hathaway is committed to its Japanese investments for the long term and has reached an agreement with the companies to own beyond the initial 10% ceiling, Warren Buffett said in his annual letter to shareholders released Saturday.
“From the start, we also agreed to keep Berkshire’s holdings below 10% of each company’s shares. But, as we approached this limit, the five companies agreed to moderately relax the ceiling,” Buffett said. “Over time, you will likely see Berkshire’s ownership of all five increase somewhat.”
The Japanese names in Berkshire’s portfolio are Itochu, Marubeni, Mitsubishi, Mitsui and Sumitomo. All five are the biggest “sogo shosha,” or trading houses in Japan that invest across diverse sectors domestically and abroad — “in a manner somewhat similar to Berkshire itself,” Buffet said. Berkshire first bought into the companies in July 2019.
At the end of 2024, the market value of Berkshire’s Japanese holdings came in at $23.5 billion, with the aggregate cost at $13.8 billion. The investor highlighted the companies’ managements, relationships with their investors, as well as their capital deployment strategies.
Stock Chart IconStock chart icon
Japanese trading houses over the past year
Buffett has sold Japanese debt to fund Berkshire’s shares in the Japanese companies. Issuing yen-denominated bonds also allows Buffett to reduce foreign exchange-related risks. Berkshire reported $2.3 billion in after-tax gains in its Japanese bonds, of which $850 million were from 2024 alone owing to the strength of the dollar, which appreciated around 11% against the yen in 2024.
“We like the current math of our yen-balanced strategy,” Buffett stated. He added that designated successor “Greg [Abel] and I have no view on future foreign exchange rates and therefore seek a position approximating currency-neutrality.”
The Oracle of Omaha forecasts the annual dividend income from its stake in the five Japanese trading houses will come in at around $812 million.
“I expect that Greg and his eventual successors will be holding this Japanese position for many decades and that Berkshire will find other ways to work productively with the five companies in the future,” said Buffett.
To be sure, the five Japanese trading houses have struggled in the past year. Itochu and Marubeni are down more than 8% each in that time, while Mitsubishi has dropped 26%. Mitsui and Sumitomo have lost 16% and 10%, respectively, over that *******.
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Why so many health insurance claims are denied in the U.S.
Why so many health insurance claims are denied in the U.S.
The targeted killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December became a turning point in the public’s growing frustration with the health insurance industry. People began sharing stories online about how insurers denied them coverage, upending their lives.
“In the aftermath of the killing of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, we have seen a nationwide conversation about health insurance barriers, from delays to denials to just general patient frustrations by everyday Americans from across the political spectrum,” said Miranda Yaver, an assistant professor of health policy and management at the University of Pittsburgh.
One such patient is Shelby Kinsey, a 22-year-old Texas resident who was diagnosed with ALS last year. She fought her insurer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, to secure approval for Qalsody, which her doctors said was the most effective treatment for her form of ALS.
“When we were first denied, we were told it was due to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas deeming Qalsody medically unnecessary,” Kinsey said. “We ended up appealing the decision three times with the help of our medical coordinator at the Baylor College of Medicine.”
“It honestly shocked me how difficult the process was to get approval for a life-preserving medicine for a disease that doesn’t have many options,” she added.
CNBC reached out to Kinsey’s insurance provider for comment, but Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas said it “does not discuss member issues with the media.”
Despite numerous headlines and reports pointing to a rise in health insurance claim denials, the system’s fragmented nature makes it hard to get an exact count.
“It can be difficult to estimate exactly how many claims are denied in a given year by health insurers because not all health insurers report this data. But there are a few things that we do know,” Yaver said. “The Affordable Care Act did a few things to try to help make more transparent this really complex insurance process of coverage denials.”
She said when insurance companies that the Affordable Care Act regulates are denying patients, they have to give the reason and disclose information about the denial, and there also has to be an appeal process.
“But as is the story of a lot of American law and policy, a lot of this comes down to enforcement,” she added.
Using the limited data, KFF, a nonprofit organization focused on health policy, published a January study showing that 73 million of 392 million in-network claims were denied in the U.S. in 2023. In 2021, 48.3 million of 291.6 million in-network claims were denied.
Notably, most consumers don’t appeal denials: Fewer than 1% did, and insurers upheld 56% of those appeals.
“One thing that we’ve seen in some of the survey work we have done from surveying consumers across different insurance types is that they simply don’t know that they have an appeal right,” said Kaye Pestaina, director and vice president of the program on patient and consumer protection at KFF. “If appeals were used more often, it might operate as a check on carriers. But from what we can see now, so few are appealed, so it’s not operating as a check on.”
Watch the video to explore the rise in claim denials, how Americans can challenge insurance companies and the current state of health care in the U.S.
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The Big Ten and SEC’s CFP bargain: Would more auto-bids mean less selection committee?
The Big Ten and SEC’s CFP bargain: Would more auto-bids mean less selection committee?
NEW ORLEANS — The College Football Playoff debuted in 2014 with ESPN asking a simple question: Who’s in?
Since then, there have been countless hours spent and words spilt pondering the possibilities before, during and even after the season. Speculating about which teams will make the Playoff can be a bit much in mid-September, but those debates have become an integral part of college football. The subjectivity baked into the process of determining a national champion, a longstanding tradition in the sport, is both maddening and alluring.
There is a reason why the CFP selection committee releases a month’s worth of essentially meaningless Top 25s before selection Sunday. Fans love to complain about the rankings and the committee, but as long as they’re talking about college football, that’s generally viewed as a good thing.
The Big Ten and SEC appear intent on putting an end to all that, and turning the selection committee into, basically, a seeding committee, with almost all of the Playoff participants determined by a combination of conference standings and play-in games.
Commissioners Greg Sankey (SEC) and Tony Petitti (Big Ten) mostly deflected questions about potentially overhauling the CFP, starting in 2026, after the latest summit of their two conferences’ leaders in New Orleans this week but gave a few hints about where their collective heads are at.
“We also have an interest, and I said this in December, in understanding selection committee decisions in the last few years,” Sankey said. “We have different views. We entrust them with that work, but there are domino effects from those selection decisions. Again, I’m not forming the agenda, but I’m identifying things that are regularly a part of our conversation with lots to understand.”
Asked if redefining the role of the selection committee would improve the Playoff, Sankey decided it was a leading question.
“That’s a tricky way to get me to commit to something that might be said in a meeting or not. So I appreciate the effort,” Sankey said.
Petitti and Sankey have been careful not to criticize the committee after the first season of the 12-team Playoff. Plenty in SEC country took care of that for them after the conference that has dominated college football for much of the past two decades had only three teams make the first expanded field.
Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel began serving on the committee in 2022, when it was a four-team Playoff, and served as chairman and face of the 13-member panel last year, the first season with a 12-team field. He said expansion changed the committee’s task but not the scrutiny it faced.
“And so whatever pressure is there, pressure is there,” Manuel said. “But the people around the room have the best interest of the game of football in mind, the front of mind. And so structure doesn’t matter. In other words, it’s going to be pressurized anyway, just because of the concept of picking teams and ranking teams. So it’s all good. Y’all feel it, too. Y’all run y’all weekly ‘who should be where’ and then people yell at y’all, too. It’s no different than the committee.”
Sankey said selection committee decisions trickle down into everything from the SEC’s four-year-long debate about whether to go from eight to nine conference games to nonconference scheduling (SEC-Big Ten challenge, anyone?) and ultimately just how rigorous their schedules should be.
“How do we understand the function of the selection committee?” Sankey said. “Is it meeting the objectives established? How are the criteria used? You know, my members want to understand, how is strength of schedule fully evaluated in the selection room?”
“From my perspective, how you qualify for the postseason impacts the regular season,” Petitti said. “Or how you perceive you qualify for the postseason. What factors you think are important … I think that informs the way you think about the regular season. They’re all tied together.”
To that end, the Big Ten and SEC believe creating clearly defined paths to the Playoff will improve everything about college football. An idea floated last year to give conferences multiple automatic bids to an expanded — again — CFP has not gone away, despite the fact that it is difficult to find anyone outside the Big Ten and SEC who likes it.
The model that seems to have traction includes 14 teams, with four spots each going to the SEC and Big Ten, two each to the ACC and Big 12, one set aside for the best of the six other Football Bowl Subdivision conferences and one at-large spot that provides an access point for Notre Dame but could conceivably go to the highest ranked team that hasn’t already played its way in.
The conferences would determine the means by which their teams get those bids. There would be no comparing resumes. No more eye test. No more debating whether a spot should go to the most deserving team or the team that would be favored in a hypothetical matchup. In reality, there will be no need for a committee to meet as frequently as it does in the current system, though ESPN might like to continue the midweek content and still run a weekly rankings release throughout November.
There is some upside to taking the subjectivity out of the CFP process. Despite the beliefs of some conspiracy theorists, the committee does a hard job in good faith.
There will always be complaints about who’s in and who’s out. But allowing the whining of Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin and other SEC propagandists about the performances of teams like SMU and Indiana to ******* the conversation during the opening rounds of the Playoff this past season was not great for college football.
Creating well-defined postseason qualifications makes sense, because that’s how sports generally works. Win something, get something.
The current selection criteria and guidance given to the committee is intentionally broad and vague. To sum it up: Pick the best teams.
The committee could be given a more focused set of criteria and maybe even some metrics to direct their decisions, the way it’s done in other college sports such as basketball. But the small-sample-size nature of football makes what works in other sports less effective.
Having good teams play more games against good teams and “settling it on the field” is, ostensibly, not a bad idea. Predetermining the quality of the teams by conference is a bad idea, if for no other reason than it marginalizes dozens of schools with substantial and passionate fan bases.
But the Big Ten and the SEC see opportunities to create still more revenue for themselves with more marquee early-season nonconference matchups and high-stakes late-season intraconference games.
And since they don’t trust the selection committee process to properly reward them in the end, they’ve come up with a way to eliminate that part of the CFP altogether.
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Forget egg prices! There’s 1 more grocery staple that sits near record highs at $11.97 per pound
Forget egg prices! There’s 1 more grocery staple that sits near record highs at $11.97 per pound
Forget egg prices! There’s 1 more grocery staple that sits near record highs at $11.97 per pound — and it’s adding to the squeeze on Americans. Here’s what it is and 3 ways to deal with it
Americans continue to feel the squeeze at grocery stores — and we’re not just talking about the price of eggs.
The cost of food at home rose 0.5% in January from the previous month and 1.9% since the year before, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This increase is partly attributed to skyrocketing egg prices, but there’s another food category that might be giving shoppers sticker shock: beef.
Sirloin steak prices averaged $11.97 per pound in January, just shy of November’s record high of $12.01 per pound. In addition, ground beef prices averaged $5.55 per pound, again not far from the record high of $5.67 per pound set in September.
Overall, the cost of beef and veal has gone up 5.5% since last year.
So, what’s been driving up prices?
If you’re wondering why the price of sirloin steak and ground beef is so high, the answer seems to be a shortage of beef cattle inventory.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported in January there were 86.7 million head of cattle and calves on U.S. farms. According to industry news publication Drovers, it’s the smallest inventory in nearly 65 years.
Low inventory levels have been attributed to drought and high supply prices, leading farmers to trim their herds.
Something else to keep an eye on: America also imports cattle from Canada and Mexico. If the Trump administration follows through on threats to levy tariffs on goods from these countries, it could affect prices even further.
Read more: Home prices in America could fly through the roof in 2025 — here’s the big reason why and how to take full advantage (with as little as $10)
If you’re having a difficult time keeping up with high grocery prices, it may be time to make some changes to the way you shop for food. Here are three ways to do so.
First, when it comes to steak, prices can vary depending on the type of cut you buy. Explore cuts that are outside your favorites. If available, you can also buy meat in bulk and slice your own steaks at home, filling your freezer with future dinner entrees. Similarly, with ground beef, prices can vary based on how lean it is and it can often be purchased in bulk as well.
Story Continues
Low-cost grocers can make a big difference when it comes to shopping for food. Stores that keep things simple and don’t have on-site deli workers or butchers may not be able to deliver customized orders, but they can also afford to offer lower prices. If you don’t have access to a discount grocery store in your area, see if your regular supermarket carries store brands, which often cost less than name brands while still doing the job.
Planning out your meals every week can help reduce the amount of unnecessary food you might buy. Doing so in accordance with what’s on ***** at your local grocery store can also help keep costs down. So, it may pay to flip through those flyers before you go shopping.
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
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Mets’ $765 million star Juan Soto gifted his teammate a $92,000 car
Mets’ $765 million star Juan Soto gifted his teammate a $92,000 car
Brett Baty’s choice to hold onto his high school ride just paid off big time.
The New York Mets third baseman has been driving the same 2016 Toyota 4Runner since he was a teenager, holding onto it despite having earned nearly $5 million so far in his career.
But that changed this week after the arrival of superstar Juan Soto, who signed a 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets this offseason. Soto has worn No. 22 since he first entered the league in 2018, and in his contract negotiations asked to keep wearing it in Queens.
Baty, who had previously worn No. 22 for the Mets, agreed to give up his number and switched to No. 7 for the 2025 baseball season. To show his thanks, Soto did some digging about what would make his new teammate happy.
The answer? A Chevy Tahoe that Soto said set him back $92,000.
“We did our [research] and tried to make sure it was a car he likes. He was talking to one of our guys and he was letting him know it was the car of his dreams, that he dreams of one of those cars,” Soto told reporters. “So I made sure he got it.”
Baty gave up No. 22 when Soto signed with the Mets this offseason.
Diamond Images | Diamond Images | Getty Images
Soto presented the ****** SUV to Baty at the Mets’ spring training complex in Port St. Lucie, Florida — complete with a giant red bow on the front and “Thanks For #22” written on the rear windshield.
“I just appreciate you,” Soto told Baty while giving him the car. “Thank you for the number, I really appreciate it. It’s the first one I ever wear, so I want to give you something nice.”
Baty, who put more than 150,000 miles on his old car’s odometer and whose $800,000 salary means he’s set to earn $61 million less than Soto this season, was taken aback by the gift.
“It’s amazing,” Baty told reporters. “Just for him to be able to think to do something like that, I couldn’t be more grateful. I’m just really excited that he’s on our team.”
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Three Keys & a Pick: Illinois vs. No. 3 Duke – 247Sports
Three Keys & a Pick: Illinois vs. No. 3 Duke – 247Sports
Three Keys & a Pick: Illinois vs. No. 3 Duke 247SportsStars Shine Bright In MSG – Flagg Is A Supernova OutkickIllinois at No. 3 Duke Prediction: Odds, Expert Picks, Betting Trends and Stats Yahoo SportsHow the Duke vs. Illinois game at Madison Square Garden came together for Saturday’s nonconference showdown CBS SportsIllinois vs Duke Predictions, Picks, Odds for Saturday, February 22 The Action Network
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Man United rally for draw at Everton after VAR drama
Man United rally for draw at Everton after VAR drama
Manchester United have rallied from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Everton in the Premier League, with Manuel Ugarte grabbing the 80th-minute equaliser with his first club goal in four years.
The Uruguay midfielder rescued a point from a largely inept performance from United on Saturday by driving home a shot from the edge of the area eight minutes after Bruno Fernandes started the visitors’ fightback at Goodison Park by curling in a free-kick.
United had been on course to slip to a third straight loss — and ninth defeat in 15 league matches since Ruben Amorim took charge in November — after first-half goals by Beto and Abdoulaye Doucoure.
There was a late scare for United when Everton were awarded a penalty for a foul by Harry Maguire in the third minute of stoppage time, but after a video review, the on-field referee changed his initial decision.
Everton faded halfway through the second half and United took advantage, though the comeback will not mask the big problems facing Amorim as he looks to get the fallen English giants up the standings from their current embarrassing position of 15th place.
Amorim’s side had struggled for much of the contest, with their former England defender Rio Ferdinand, commentating for **** Sports, labelling their display as “embarrassing” and “unforgivable” shortly before Fernandes sparked their comeback.
Everton, though, extended their unbeaten run under David Moyes, who returned for a second spell as manager last month, to six league games.
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Carly and Jack Are ‘No Accident,’ Headwriters Reveal — and We’re Looking at More ‘Lives Threatened’
Carly and Jack Are ‘No Accident,’ Headwriters Reveal — and We’re Looking at More ‘Lives Threatened’
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key Takeaways
Nothing is ever quite the way that it seems on General Hospital. Case in point: Carly and Jack’s amorous interaction. We imagined that it came about quite naturally, nothing more than an instance of two hot people getting hot for each other. But no, there’s more to it than meets the eye — or any other part of the anatomy, for that matter!
“Brennan’s presence in Port Charles and his proximity to Carly is no accident,” Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten tell Soap Opera Digest. “His feelings for Carly are accidental, though — and those feelings will come into direct conflict with his intentions for Josslyn.”
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And what, exactly, might those intentions be? Joss is certainly in the hot seat, what with having killed Cyrus and all. But he had it coming, anyone would agree… wouldn’t they? The guy came at her with a freaking axe after murdering her boyfriend (and then some). If ever there was a case to be made for justifiable *********, this was it!
Cyrus Dex fashback GH
Yet the scribes warn that “the Spencer women will find themselves plunged into a world totally alien to them — Brennan’s world.” Their involvement with Jack won’t just impact them, either. “A number of Port Charles residents will be pulled into this developing story as loyalties, friendships and families will be called into question, present loves tested, new loves emerge and many lives threatened… Jason[’s] among them!”
Stone Cold? Really? He wasn’t even there when Josslyn introduced Cyrus to his maker. This might be the one storyline that doesn’t hinge on him riding to the rescue. Yet Korte and Van Etten insist that the combo platter of Joss killing Cyrus and Jack lending a hand “puts our hero’s freedom on the line.”
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Mm-hmm. We’ll believe it when we see it. We all know that the mobsters run Port Charles. In the meantime, enjoy the below photo gallery of soaps’ all-time greatest femmes fatales — Carly among them.
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NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, February 23 (game #357)
NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, February 23 (game #357)
Looking for a different day?
A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing ‘today’s game’ while others are playing ‘yesterday’s’. If you’re looking for Saturday’s puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, February 22 (game #356).
Strands is the NYT’s latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it’s great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.
Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc’s Wordle today page for the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.
NYT Strands today (game #357) – hint #1 – today’s theme
What is the theme of today’s NYT Strands?
• Today’s NYT Strands theme is… Oh, this old thing?
NYT Strands today (game #357) – hint #2 – clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
SHINE
LINE
COLT
COIL
MALE
TALL
NYT Strands today (game #357) – hint #3 – spangram
What is a hint for today’s spangram?
• Available on eBay
NYT Strands today (game #357) – hint #4 – spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today’s spangram touches?
First side: bottom, 3rd column
Last side: top, 4th column
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Strands today (game #357) – the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today’s Strands, game #357, are…
STAMP
COIN
VINYL
COMIC
PLUSHIE
BOBBLEHEAD
SPANGRAM: COLLECTIBLES
My rating: Easy
My score: Perfect
Today’s puzzle collates items that some may consider junk and that others treasure, depending on your collecting demeanor.
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Personally, I’ve always veered on the side of treasure and although my loft is free of a single BOBBLEHEAD it contains plenty of everything else listed here, all of which will bail us out of crisis and pay the mortgage off one day.
Well, that’s the dream of everyone with COLLECTIBLES, but the brutal reality upon perusing eBay is that it is all close to worthless . Having said that, I did once sell a comic for $300. The fact that it’s now worth $1,000 further entrenches my position of holding on to everything.
How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.
Yesterday’s NYT Strands answers (Saturday, 22 February, game #356)
GRIDLOCK
BLOCKAGE
CONGESTION
OVERCROWDING
SPANGRAM: TRAFFIC JAM
What is NYT Strands?
Strands is the NYT’s new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It’s now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT’s games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
I’ve got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you’re struggling to beat it each day.
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A French ex-surgeon is accused of raping or abusing 299 victims. Most were child patients – The Associated Press
A French ex-surgeon is accused of raping or abusing 299 victims. Most were child patients – The Associated Press
A French ex-surgeon is accused of raping or abusing 299 victims. Most were child patients The Associated PressDiaries of a monster: French surgeon’s record details a catalogue of child abuse Sky NewsFrench surgeon Joel Le Scouarnec to face trial for allegedly abusing 299 child patients FRANCE 24 EnglishHow a surgeon accused of abusing 300 children kept 70 life-sized child dolls under his floorboards… and wrot Daily MailFrance Surgeon Child ***** Citrus County Chronicle
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Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, February 23 (game #1126)
Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, February 23 (game #1126)
Looking for a different day?
A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing ‘today’s game’ while others are playing ‘yesterday’s’. If you’re looking for Saturday’s puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Saturday, February 22 (game #1125).
Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.
Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc’s Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.
Quordle today (game #1126) – hint #1 – Vowels
How many different vowels are in Quordle today?
• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.
* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).
Quordle today (game #1126) – hint #2 – repeated letters
Do any of today’s Quordle answers contain repeated letters?
• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.
Quordle today (game #1126) – hint #3 – uncommon letters
Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?
• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today’s Quordle answers.
Quordle today (game #1126) – hint #4 – starting letters (1)
Do any of today’s Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?
• The number of today’s Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.
If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you’re not ready yet then here’s one more clue to make things a lot easier:
Quordle today (game #1126) – hint #5 – starting letters (2)
What letters do today’s Quordle answers start with?
• R
• R
• S
• B
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Quordle today (game #1126) – the answers
(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)
The answers to today’s Quordle, game #1126, are…
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It’s taken me a ridiculously long time to get there (I started writing this column in December, having never really played Quordle that much before – just lots of Wordle), but I’m now regularly completing the game after seven rounds using the three-starter-words approach.
I’m still not sure what the perfect three start words are, or if the method fails if there are more uncommon words or letter combinations, but it certainly makes it faster.
How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.
Daily Sequence today (game #1126) – the answers
(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)
The answers to today’s Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1126, are…
Quordle answers: The past 20
Quordle #1125, Saturday 22 February: ETHER, SONIC, VAUNT, ROUSE
Quordle #1124, Friday 21 February: STIFF, PRIZE, SCOWL, DONUT
Quordle #1123, Thursday 20 February: HASTY, DRAPE, FICUS, CRAZE
Quordle #1122, Wednesday 19 February: ABATE, TROVE, VENUE, DRAPE
Quordle #1121, Tuesday 18 February: TAMER, SCRUB, BRICK, DRIFT
Quordle #1120, Monday 17 February: SADLY, WAFER, LITHE, IDIOM
Quordle #1119, Sunday 16 February: GHOUL, AFIRE, COVEN, FIERY
Quordle #1118, Saturday 15 February: CREEP, CONDO, GRILL, FANCY
Quordle #1117, Friday 14 February: MEDIA, ELUDE, THUMB, WIDOW
Quordle #1116, Thursday 13 February: SCALP, DWELL, AMPLE, TRUNK
Quordle #1115, Wednesday 12 February: SHOOK, GRADE, POLAR, SEEDY
Quordle #1114, Tuesday 11 February: HEAVY, CIRCA, PESKY, SCION
Quordle #1113, Monday 10 February: TWIXT, FRESH, GUISE, TABBY
Quordle #1112, Sunday 9 February: TAPIR, SHAKE, TOKEN, SEVEN
Quordle #1111, Saturday 8 February: AFOOT, ALIKE, HUMUS, TOWEL
Quordle #1110, Friday 7 February: PETAL, ABASE, AMONG, CORER
Quordle #1109, Thursday 6 February: MADAM, SCAMP, FAUNA, TRACK
Quordle #1108, Wednesday 5 February: SIXTH, VERVE, BLURB, CACTI
Quordle #1107, Tuesday 4 February: BIRTH, DRAWN, MILKY, JOIST
Quordle #1106, Monday 3 February: SLEET, TENSE, SEIZE, SCAMP
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Student loan borrowers in SAVE will soon be booted. What to know
Student loan borrowers in SAVE will soon be booted. What to know
Damircudic | E+ | Getty Images
Student loan borrowers who expected smaller monthly payments under the new Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan received some bad news on Feb. 18, when a U.S. appeals court blocked the program.
As a result, millions of people will need to switch to a new repayment plan soon.
The adjustment will likely be challenging, said higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz.
“Borrowers who were in SAVE will have to pay more on their federal student loans, in some cases double or even triple the monthly loan payment,” Kantrowitz said.
The recent appeals court order, in addition to blocking SAVE, also ended student loan forgiveness under other income-driven repayment plans.
Here’s what borrowers need to know.
Why was the SAVE plan blocked?
The Biden administration rolled out the SAVE plan in the summer of 2023, describing it as “the most affordable student loan plan ever.”
However, Republican-backed states quickly filed lawsuits against the program. They argued that former President Joe Biden, with SAVE, was essentially trying to find a roundabout way to forgive student debt after the Supreme Court blocked his attempt at sweeping debt cancellation.
SAVE came with two key provisions that the the legal challenges targeted. It had lower monthly payments than any other income-driven repayment plan offered to student loan borrowers, and it led to quicker debt erasure for those with small balances.
(Income-driven repayment plans set your monthly bill based on your income and family size, and used to lead to debt forgiveness after a certain *******, but the terms vary.)
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Feb. 18 sided with the seven Republican-led states that filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education’s repayment plan.
What happens to my forbearance?
While the legal challenges against SAVE were playing out, the Biden administration put student loan borrowers who had enrolled in the plan into an interest-free forbearance. That plan said the pause on any bill could last until December.
But now, Kantrowitz said, “It will likely end sooner under the Trump administration, within weeks or months.”
Do I need to enroll in another plan?
The answer is yes, you need to enroll in another plan.
Borrowers should start looking now at their other repayment options, experts said.
The recent appeals court order against SAVE also ended student loan forgiveness under many other income-driven repayment plans, including the Revised Pay-As-You-Earn repayment plan, or REPAYE.
Currently, only the Income-Based Repayment Plan, or IBR, leads to debt cancellation.
However, if you’re pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness, you should be eligible for debt cancellation after 10 years on any of the IDR plans, said Betsy Mayotte, president of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors, a nonprofit that helps borrowers navigate the repayment of their debt. (PSLF offers debt erasure for certain public servants after 10 years of payments.)
More from Personal Finance: Converting your home to a rental could trigger a ‘tax bomb’ when you sell What the privatization of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac may mean for homebuyers, investors U.S. appeals court blocks Biden SAVE plan for student loans
“It’s also important to point out that all the IDR plans cross-pollinate for forgiveness,” Mayotte said. “If someone has been on PAYE for eight years and now switches to IBR, they will still have eight years under their belt toward IBR forgiveness.”
There are several tools available online to help you determine how much your monthly bill would be under different plans.
Meanwhile, the Standard Repayment Plan is a good option for borrowers who are not seeking or eligible for loan forgiveness and can afford the monthly payments, experts say. Under that plan, payments are fixed and borrowers typically make payments for up to 10 years.
What if I can’t afford the new payments?
If you can’t afford the monthly payments under your new repayment plan, you should first see if you qualify for a deferment, experts say. That’s because your loans may not accrue interest under that option, whereas they almost always do in a forbearance.
If you’re unemployed when student loan payments resume, you can request an unemployment deferment with your servicer. If you’re dealing with another financial challenge, meanwhile, you may be eligible for an economic hardship deferment.
Other, lesser-known deferments include the graduate fellowship deferment, the military service and post-active duty deferment and the ******* treatment deferment.
Student loan borrowers who don’t qualify for a deferment may request a forbearance.
Under this option, borrowers can keep their loans on hold for as long as three years. However, because interest accrues during the forbearance *******, borrowers can be hit with a larger bill when it ends.
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