House Backs Bill Targeting Forced Organ Harvesting in China
Here are the stories shaping the day:
The House of Representatives
aimed at ending Beijing's persecution of the spiritual group Falun Gong.
Harvard University
will no longer be
, according to a senior White House official.
China's six largest banks
have posted first-quarter reports with a
in both earnings and profits.
Online scammers
have entered the age of AI, using
to dupe unwitting Americans.
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Business Insider
39 minutes ago
- Business Insider
American tourists can't quite quit Europe
The American dream may be struggling, but for many, the Euro summer dream is alive and well. Jimin Shim, a millennial copywriter who lives in Denver, has plenty of concerns about the economy, from stock market volatility that she feels has been brought on by the current administration to a tough job market. Still, she's vacationing in Portugal later this month, and treating her mom to the trip too. "Traveling is very important to me. I try to do at least one international trip a year and then maybe a couple of domestic trips," she told Business Insider. "And because I know that that is a priority for me, it's something that I budget for and am saving up for all year round." While there's been some softening in leisure travel demand this year, data and surveys suggest Shim is one of many Americans who are weighing their international travel plans against their worries about the economy and saying, "book it." The extent to which Americans are pulling back on international trips this summer is not fully clear. An analysis from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, found summer bookings from the US to Europe were down nearly 10% from January to May compared to last year. Meanwhile, a summer travel survey from Deloitte, released in May, found more Americans were traveling internationally this summer compared to 2024, with most headed to Europe. And a recent data analysis by Allianz Partners, a travel insurance and assistance company, found summer travel from the US to Europe would increase by 10% in 2025. The economy isn't the only reason Americans might rethink travel to Europe this summer. The weakening US dollar doesn't go as far as it used to, and some Americans are worried about their safety or not feeling welcomed abroad due to the current administration's approach to foreign policy. Americans are also waiting longer to book their trips, which could complicate the picture. Still, it's clear that many Americans are traveling abroad despite the downturn in consumer sentiment. "I think you're seeing a hesitancy," Amir Eylon, president and CEO of Longwoods International, a market research consultancy that specializes in the travel tourism industry, told BI. "I still believe a majority of American travelers who were planning to go abroad are still going to go abroad." The enduring appeal of Euro summer Eylon said that while there are indications of a slowdown, it does not look like a "game-changing" shift. His firm's monthly consumer sentiment survey of 1,000 travelers found the number of American travelers who said they were very likely to take an international trip in the next 12 months declined from 25% in January to 19% in May. He noted travelers seemed to be in a "wait and see" mode this spring, echoing what other industry experts have said and previously told BI — that travelers are booking closer to travel dates, in part as they search for good deals. Eylon said it is possible there will be an overall decline in Americans visiting Europe this year, but it's too soon to tell the full picture. He thinks those canceling or ditching trip plans will be in the minority. "American travelers view it as a need more than a want," he said of travel, adding that many see it as a "right." Meredith Pierce, a travel content creator based in Atlanta, said that's exactly how she and many other millennials and Gen Zers view travel, including to Europe. Pierce posts a lot of popular "Euro summer" content and sees it as a persistent and lasting travel trend, even when folks have financial concerns. "Everyone loves the idea of sipping an Aperol spritz and looking at the Mediterranean," Pierce said, "especially if maybe you are stressed in your day-to-day life because of politics or the economy or budgets, or anything like that. A bit of escapism I think comes into play there as well." The hesitancy fueled by economic uncertainty could also make it a bit more affordable to travel to Europe this summer. Eylon noted the slowdown in leisure travel led to some declines in airfare prices, which may have pushed some hesitant Americans to take the plunge. When economic concerns, largely fueled by Trump's tariff policy, intensified in March and April, some airlines suspended their forecasts for the year, and flight prices declined. Rather than get spooked by the economic uncertainty, Pierce believes plenty of people pounced. Her "Euro summer" content from last year started going viral, and she was getting flooded with DMs and questions from people who found a cheap flight to Europe and were suddenly planning their trips. Pierce said some budget-conscious travelers are opting for more affordable and under-the-radar destinations in Europe, such as Albania or Poland, which feature similarly picturesque scenes but at a lower cost than Italy or Paris. More frugal spending once they get to their destination Deloitte's summer travel survey noted that many American travelers already had their big summer trips partially or even fully booked by April, when concerns around tariffs and the economy intensified. The survey also found that while consumers' sense of financial well-being was down year-over-year in April, slightly more Americans planned to take leisure vacations this summer compared to 2024. Deloitte found travelers looking to save were cutting back on in-destination spending as well as opting for more affordable lodging and flight classes. The survey also found that while some are being more frugal, many Americans are prioritizing bucket list trips and international travel, or trips that are otherwise special in some way. Deloitte found 42% of air travelers were flying internationally on their longest summer trip, compared to 38% in 2024. Those traveling internationally were also more likely to increase their travel budget compared to last year. Shim, the copywriter from Denver, also has a special reason for making her Portugal trip work this year, despite her financial concerns. Her family has been going through a tough time after her grandfather's death last year. This vacation is a way to spend quality time with and treat her mom, who has never been to Europe, and take the first trip that's just the two of them. "I also think that sometimes in these times of uncertainty and tumultuousness and a lot of tension and division, traveling and spending quality time with family who loves you is a great way to just take care of your mental and emotional health too," she said, "which I think is also very important to do."
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
How to put Dave Ramsey's ‘7 Baby Steps' into action
Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below. Breaking out of the debt cycle isn't easy. According to research by Empower, 37% of Americans can't cover a $400 emergency expense without borrowing money or dipping into their savings. And a startling 145 million Americans have less than $1,000 in savings. Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has an important message for the next wave of American retirees — here's how he says you can best weather the US retirement crisis Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) So how do you beat debt and build wealth if you're living paycheck to paycheck? You may have already heard of Dave Ramsey's 7 Baby Steps. The radio host and personal finance personality has popularized this step-by-step guide to take control of your money. "It's not a fairy tale. Anyone can do it, and the plan works every single time,' according to Ramsey. 'Many people have used the plan to ditch debt, increase wealth, and live and give like no one else.' Whether it's high-yield savings accounts or low-fee investment options, here are tools that can help you put Dave Ramsey's 7 Baby Steps into action. An emergency fund is a savings buffer set aside for unexpected expenses like home or car repairs – so you can avoid going into debt in case of an unplanned financial situation. 'Without an emergency fund, you are one car repair or medical bill away from financial disaster,' Ramsey noted. But starting an emergency fund doesn't have to be overwhelming. One of the easiest ways to kickstart your emergency fund is by automatically saving your spare change. Starting a new bank account and contributing any extra money can help grow your emergency fund over time. Another smart way to grow your emergency fund is by reducing monthly expenses. For instance, many people are overpaying for car insurance simply because they don't compare rates regularly. makes it easy to compare quotes from leading insurers in your area, potentially saving you hundreds of dollars annually on premiums. The process is 100% free and won't affect your credit score. In just a few clicks, you could pay as little as $29 a month. The money you save on lower insurance rates can go directly into your emergency fund, accelerating your progress toward financial security. As of the third quarter of 2024, total credit card debt in the U.S. reached an all-time high of $1.17 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve. Dave Ramsey recommends using the debt snowball method to pay off your debts. Focus on paying off the smallest debt first while making minimum payments on the others. Once the smallest is paid off, move that payment to the next smallest debt and keep going. "Debt isn't a math problem; it's a behavior problem. The debt snowball method helps you change your behavior by giving you quick wins and keeping you motivated,' according to Ramsey. Consolidating all your debts is an effective way to get rid of your debt faster. Instead of juggling multiple monthly payments, you'll have one predictable payment to manage each month. Even after consolidating your major debts, staying debt-free can be challenging especially with rising costs and unforeseen expenses. Budgeting and tracking can help you understand where your money is going, so you can make every dollar work for you. With YNAB, you can track spending and saving all in one place. Link your accounts so you can see a big-picture look of your expenses and net worth growth. You can prioritize saving for short or long term goals — like a vacation or a down payment for a house — with the app's goal tracking feature. If you want to pay debts faster, you can create personalized paydown plans to calculate how much interest you'd save if you topped up your monthly payments with a little extra. The easy-to-use platform allows you to simplify spending decisions and clarify your financial priorities. Plus, you don't need to add your credit card information to start your free trial today. Now that your debt is behind you, keep moving forward with Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps by focusing on building your fully funded emergency fund. 'Take the money you were using to pay down debt and set aside three to six months' worth of expenses,' according to Ramsey. This will safeguard you from life's bigger unexpected bumps – like job loss or a medical emergency – and help you stay on track without slipping back into debt. Parking your cash in a high-yield savings account can significantly boost your savings and keep you on course to reach your financial goals. Such accounts offer interest rates that are often 10 to 12 times higher than the national average for traditional savings accounts, which currently stands at around 0.41%. Unfortunately, over 82% of Americans aren't using such high-yield savings accounts — leaving money on the table, according to CNBC Select. So, it's important to shop around and compare rates. The next Baby Step is to start investing 15% of your gross income towards retirement. 'By the time you're 67, you should still be working because you want to, not because you have to,' said Ramsey. A trusted, pre-screened financial advisor can help you develop a solid retirement strategy. According to research by Vanguard, people who work with financial advisors see a 3% increase in net returns. This difference can be substantial over time. For instance, if you start with a $50,000 portfolio, you could potentially retire with an extra $1.3 million after 30 years of professional guidance. With Vanguard, you can connect with a personal advisor who can help assess how you're doing so far and make sure you've got the right portfolio to meet your goals on time. Vanguard's hybrid advisory system combines advice from professional advisers and automated portfolio management to make sure your investments are working to achieve your financial goals. All you have to do is fill out a brief questionnaire about your financial goals, and Vanguard's advisers will help you set a tailored plan, and stick to it. Once you're set, you can sit back as Vanguard's advisors manage your portfolio. Because they're fiduciaries, they don't earn commissions, so you can trust that the advice you're getting is unbiased. Read more: Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — By this point, following Dave Ramsey's 7 Baby Steps, you've paid off most of your debts (except the mortgage) and started saving for retirement. The next step is to begin saving for your children's college expenses. For example, you can open a high-yield checking and savings account which helps to build your savings over time. By combining these two powerful tools – earning higher interest rates on your cash while systematically funding a tax-advantaged 529 plan – you can build a solid college savings strategy that works in the background while you focus on other aspects of family life and the next Dave Ramsey Baby Step. Now, bring it all home. Your mortgage is the only thing between you and complete freedom from debt. Ramsey said, 'Baby Step 6 is the big dog!' Refinancing your home loan could help you pay off your mortgage early in two effective ways. By securing a lower interest rate, you can either maintain your current monthly payment while more of it goes toward the principal, or you can opt for a shorter loan term to accelerate your path to homeownership. When you refinance to a shorter term, such as moving from a 30-year to a 15-year mortgage, you'll typically receive a lower interest rate while significantly reducing the total interest paid over the life of your loan. Though your monthly payments may increase, you'll build equity faster and own your home outright years earlier than planned. The average homeowner sits on roughly $311,000 in equity as of the third quarter of 2024, according to CoreLogic. Having access to your home equity could help to cover unexpected expenses, pay substantial debt, fund a major purchase like a home renovation or supplement income from your retirement nest egg. Rates on HELOCs and home equity loans are typically lower than APRs on credit cards and personal loans, making it an appealing option for homeowners with substantial equity. Ramsey said the last step is the most rewarding: keep building wealth, become outrageously generous and leave a legacy. Real estate has long been a proven path to building generational wealth. For the 12th year in a row, Americans have ranked real estate as the best long-term investment in 2024, according to a new Gallup survey. Today it's easier than ever to enter the market with crowdfunding investing platforms like Arrived. For as little as $100, Arrived offers you access to shares of SEC-qualified investments in rental homes and vacation rentals, curated and vetted for their appreciation and income potential. Backed by world class investors like Jeff Bezos, Arrived makes it easy to fit these properties into your investment portfolio regardless of your income level. Their flexible investment amounts and simplified process allows accredited and non-accredited investors to take advantage of this inflation-hedging asset class without any extra work on your part. The next factor to consider is the preservation and protection of your wealth. Life insurance is one such tool for protecting your wealth, offering financial security for your family and ensuring your legacy is preserved. When selecting an insurance type, Dave Ramsey recommends that families choose term life insurance over whole life insurance and invest the significant savings in a tax-advantaged retirement account. Term life insurance offers coverage for a predetermined period that typically ranges from 10 to 30 years. If the insured person dies during this term, the policy pays a death benefit to the designated beneficiaries. Term insurance is usually a less expensive and more flexible option compared to whole life insurance. Young families and busy professionals looking for fast and affordable insurance can easily connect with Ethos and get term life insurance in 5 minutes, with no medical exams or blood tests. With Ethos, you can get a policy with up to $2 million in coverage, starting at just $2 per day. The application process ensures you get flexible coverage options quickly and transparently, allowing you to focus on what matters most. JPMorgan sees gold soaring to $6,000/ounce — use this 1 simple IRA trick to lock in those potential shiny gains (before it's too late) Are you rich enough to join the top 1%? Here's the net worth you need to rank among America's wealthiest — plus a few strategies to build that first-class portfolio You're probably already overpaying for this 1 'must-have' expense — and thanks to Trump's tariffs, your monthly bill could soar even higher. Here's how 2 minutes can protect your wallet right now Access to this $22.5 trillion asset class has traditionally been limited to elite investors — until now. Here's how to become the landlord of Walmart or Whole Foods without lifting a finger ¹ Terms and Conditions apply. NMLS# 1136 This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Boston Globe
43 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Can the Ivy League band together to fight Trump's attacks on higher education?
Harvard University has suffered most of President Trump's blows, with the president stripping Advertisement At other schools, university presidents are giving interviews and campus speeches critical of the White House. Professors are unionizing to advocate for their research and students. And many alumni groups are spearheading public awareness campaigns to pressure their alma maters to fight back against Trump. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Because 'The fight is going to be won among the public,' said Jon Fansmith, vice president of the nonprofit American Council on Education. The Trump administration has arguied elite universities force-feed students leftist ideology and allowed antisemitism to run rampant since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023. The administration has announced investigations of colleges and universities allegedly discriminating against white people and cut off or threatened to cut federal funding to many schools. Advertisement At Columbia University, leaders in March said they would comply with the administration's demands after officials froze hundreds of millions of dollars in funding because the administration said the school failed to protect Jewish students from discrimination. But that didn't seem to appease the White House, which announced last week it was targeting the school's accreditation, which could ultimately result in Columbia losing federal financial aid for its students. In April, several Big Ten conference schools formally signed on to a 'The Trump administration has no intention of backing down, and the only thing that will work to oppose him is strong collective action where we have each other's backs,' said Lieberwitz, whose university had Students on the campus at Princeton University in Princeton, N.J., on March 7. HANNAH BEIER/NYT University presidents speak out Ivy League university presidents have responded differently to allegations of antisemitism on campus and the Trump administration's attempts to control how they run their schools. A Eisgruber, a constitutional law scholar, has been particularly outspoken, slamming Advertisement 'It's really important for conservative views to be welcome on a campus, but that's different from insisting on ideological balance on a campus,' Eisgruber told the host of The Daily this spring. After Harvard lost billions in science funding in April, Eisgruber posted 'Princeton stands with Harvard,' on his LinkedIn profile. At Brown University, the school's highest governing body recently extended president Christina Paxson's term through June 2028 in a show of confidence. Eisgruber's and Paxson's long tenures put them in better positions to speak out, higher education advocates told the Globe this spring. Other Ivies have recently been plagued by turnover among leaders, including high-profile oustings over responses to pro-Palestinian protests and allegations of antisemitism. The presidents of Yale, Cornell, and the University of Pennsylvania were installed this spring. 'The other university presidents are not standing up for Harvard because they don't want to be the next one on Trump's list,' said Todd Wolfson, president of the American Association of University Presidents, a union. University presidents are also strategizing with lawmakers in Washington D.C., professors told the Globe. The largest public outcry from university presidents came on April 22, when hundreds signed a public statement with the American Association of Colleges & Universities against 'unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education.' Dartmouth president Sian Beilock was the only Ivy president to not sign, despite being urged to by professors and alumni, said Derek Jennings, an active member of the Native American Alumni Association of Dartmouth. The school's director of media relations, Jana Barnello, said like other schools, Dartmouth has filed supporting declarations in lawsuits over the funding cuts. Advertisement Professors rally to organize against Trump While university presidents seem to be taking a more careful and calculated approach, many professors rapidly organized this spring, forming union chapters in an attempt to defend their research. 'The level of increased faculty activism at Dartmouth is demonstrating that those of us who value the ideals and values of higher education are not waiting for administrators to lead on this,' said Bethany Moreton, who helped launch Dartmouth's chapter of the American Association of University Presidents in May 2024. Membership has since ballooned to 150, she said. Across the Ivy League, researchers said they're best suited to publicly advocate for their work, describing their life-saving findings and discoveries at rallies and in letters to lawmakers, groups told the Globe. While some observers warn of a potential brain drain among professors to Canada or Europe in response to Trump's cuts to research funding, some said Trump's attacks are creating more unity among colleagues than they've seen in years. 'If the intention was to divide faculty and pit us against each other with all the threats, it's really not working,' said Princeton English professor Meredith Martin. 'We care so much about our students that, if anything, this is bringing us together and making us stronger.' During the recent school year, membership in AAUP surged to 50,000, from 42,000, with almost all of that after Trump's inauguration in January, according to the group, and is the largest spike since its founding a century ago. Alumni stand up for schools Alumni are also pushing administrators at their alma maters to do more to stand up for their schools' autonomy. Harvard's alumni campaign, Crimson Courage, met Friday in a packed auditorium on the Cambridge campus to discuss how it is 'reaching out beyond Harvard to build the campaign,' an event description said. Advertisement The group Stand Up for Princeton and Higher Education amassed more than 9,000 alumni supporters in the past five weeks. Some held signs and wore buttons while walking the P-rade route on May 24. The group's In Connecticut, the group Stand Up for Yale sent a Similar alumni groups are taking shape across the Ivy League, with several urging university presidents to sign on to group statements, alumni told the Globe. Schools must band together formally, experts say Many graduates said their support is for all of higher education, not just their alma maters. At the recent Princeton reunion after the P-rade, a Yale Divinity School student caught up with a University of Chicago Law School graduate over barbecue. Outside nearby Firestone Library, recent graduates of Yale's and Harvard's law schools enveloped in hugs. 'The education my peers and I received was life changing, and our schools know this and are not backing down on ensuring future students get the same opportunities,' said Joshua Faires, who has an undergraduate degree from Princeton and a master's degree in sociology from Columbia University. HoSang, from Yale's AAUP chapter, said Trump knows higher education institutions depend on each other and share one 'ecosystem,' and so a threat against one is a threat to all, he said. Advertisement 'There is no saving Yale, Harvard, or Princeton without standing up for all of higher education,' HoSang said. Still, faculty and alumni need more support from administrators, some warned —all the way from the presidents at the top, said Wolfson, the national AAUP president. 'I think they need to be bold,' Wolfson said. 'And this is hard to do but I'll say it anyway: They need to put their institution second, and then need to put higher education — as a critical sector in US society — first.' Claire Thornton can be reached at
