Northampton, MA
On Your Side
Electricity, Gas Bills Surge Nationwide: Here's Why Electricity, Gas Bills Surge Nationwide: Here's Why Electricity, Gas Bills Surge Nationwide: Here's Why
Electricity, Gas Bills Surge Nationwide: Here's Why If your latest utility bill made you do a double take, you are far from alone.  Across the country, Americans are seeing their electricity and natural gas costs soar, squeezing household budgets just as summer temperatures peak. Several key factors are fueling these price hikes.  Experts say the combination of increased energy demand, supply chain disruptions, and decades of underinvestment that have left the US grid with aging infrastructure are all contributing to the higher bills.  In addition, the growing need for power from AI-driven data centers, expanded oil and gas …

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by Joe Lombardi
Newark, NJ
On Your Side
NJ Spends Least On Hair Care In Nation, New Study Finds NJ Spends Least On Hair Care In Nation, New Study Finds NJ Spends Least On Hair Care In Nation, New Study Finds
NJ Spends Least On Hair Care In Nation, New Study Finds The rising cost of a haircut is hitting wallets harder in some Northeast states than others, according to a new study. WalletHub released its 2025 list of States Where People Spend the Most & Least on Hair Care on Wednesday, Aug. 20. The personal finance website compared the average price of men's barbershop visits and women's salon services in all 50 states to median household incomes. The study found Pennsylvanians spend about 1.42% of their income on hair care, ranking 11th nationwide. New York followed close behind at 17th (1.34%), while Massachusetts placed 20th (1.31%). …

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by Chris Spiker
Manchester, CT
On Your Side
'Never Ending Pasta Bowl' Returns To Olive Garden Despite Soaring Food Prices: Here's When 'Never Ending Pasta Bowl' Returns To Olive Garden Despite Soaring Food Prices: Here's When 'Never Ending Pasta Bowl' Returns To Olive Garden Despite Soaring Food Prices: Here's When
'Never Ending Pasta Bowl' Returns To Olive Garden Despite Soaring Food Prices: Here's When Despite inflation and President Donald Trump's tariffs, Olive Garden isn't budging on the price of its most popular deal. Olive Garden's fan-favorite "Never Ending Pasta Bowl" will return on Monday, Aug. 25. The deal includes unlimited pasta, soup or salad, and signature breadsticks for the same $13.99 price since 2022. The promotion stands out as menu prices nationwide climb to record highs. "In a time when prices seem to rise with every season, Olive Garden is keeping the price of its most beloved offer exactly the same," the Italian restaurant chain said in a news release. Early a…

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by Chris Spiker
National Interest
99-Cent No More? Keasbey Made AriZona Iced Tea May Finally Cave To Trump Tariffs 99-Cent No More? Keasbey Made AriZona Iced Tea May Finally Cave To Trump Tariffs 99-Cent No More? Keasbey Made AriZona Iced Tea May Finally Cave To Trump Tariffs
99-Cent No More? Keasbey Made AriZona Iced Tea May Finally Cave To Trump Tariffs For the first time in more than 30 years, AriZona iced tea’s sacred 99-cent price tag may be on the chopping block. The company’s Brooklyn-born founder Don Vultaggio told The New York Times that President Donald Trump’s 50% steel and aluminum tariffs, enacted in June, are hitting the brand where it hurts: the can.  AriZona’s headquarters sit on Long Island in Woodbury, with a massive production plant, AriZonaLand, in Keasbey, NJ, churning out the iconic tallboys that have stayed the same price since 1997. AriZona burns through more than 100 million pounds of aluminum every year, 20% o…

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by Cecilia Levine
National Interest
School Lunches Are Costing Families More Than Ever: Here's Why School Lunches Are Costing Families More Than Ever: Here's Why School Lunches Are Costing Families More Than Ever: Here's Why
School Lunches Are Costing Families More Than Ever: Here's Why As the new school year gets closer, parents are preparing to pay more to pack a lunch, with many changing what will be in their kids' lunchboxes to save money. Nearly half of parents and caregivers (48%) expect to pay more for school-day lunches this year than last, according to Deloitte's 2025 Back-to-School Survey. The study also found that grocery prices are 23% higher than they were in 2020. The increase comes as many everyday staples are getting more expensive under President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs on imports, which economists say are raising costs on a variety of foods f…

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by Chris Spiker
Arlington, VA
On Your Side
Costs Rise While Stubborn Inflation Persists, Trump Tariffs Loom Over Economy Costs Rise While Stubborn Inflation Persists, Trump Tariffs Loom Over Economy Costs Rise While Stubborn Inflation Persists, Trump Tariffs Loom Over Economy
Costs Rise While Stubborn Inflation Persists, Trump Tariffs Loom Over Economy Prices for a wide range of products increased in July, even as inflation held steady, with economists expecting President Donald Trump's tariffs to further raise costs for many Americans. The Consumer Price Index rose by 0.2% in July and reached a yearly rate of 2.7%, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Tuesday, Aug. 12. That was barely lower than the 2.8% annual inflation expected in the Dow Jones forecast, CNBC reported. Core inflation, which doesn't include the volatile food and energy categories, jumped by 0.3%, bringing the annual rate to 3.1%. That's the hi…

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by Chris Spiker
Saratoga Springs, NY
On Your Side
Rising Costs Rattling Restaurants As Customers Pull Back Rising Costs Rattling Restaurants As Customers Pull Back Rising Costs Rattling Restaurants As Customers Pull Back
Rising Costs Rattling Restaurants As Customers Pull Back From fryer oil to filet mignon, the tab for running a restaurant keeps climbing, and fewer diners are picking up the check. Operators say higher prices for ingredients, wages, and essentials like packaging are colliding with softer customer traffic, making profitability harder to maintain.  Supply chain hiccups continue to cause delays and last‑minute substitutions, pushing up costs.  Fuel is another pressure point. According to NerdWallet, the average price of a gallon of diesel has risen about 22 percent since 2020.  Related story - Beef Prices Keep Climbing T…

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by Joe Lombardi
White Plains, NY
On Your Side
Beef Prices Keep Climbing To New Record Highs: Here's What's Fueling Soaring Costs Beef Prices Keep Climbing To New Record Highs: Here's What's Fueling Soaring Costs Beef Prices Keep Climbing To New Record Highs: Here's What's Fueling Soaring Costs
Beef Prices Keep Climbing To New Record Highs: Here's What's Fueling Soaring Costs You may want to savor that next steak. It’s not getting cheaper anytime soon. Beef prices have hit an all-time high in the US, driven by a mix of short supply, steady demand, and mounting costs across the cattle industry. According to the American Farm Bureau and industry economists, the national cattle inventory is now the smallest it’s been since 1951. Many ranchers reduced herd sizes — or left the business entirely — after years of drought, inflation, and rising interest rates made farming unsustainable. Add in strong consumer demand and the result is tight supply pushing prices ever h…

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by Joe Lombardi
Albany, NY
On Your Side
Golden Corral Serving Up All You Can Eat Wings Special Golden Corral Serving Up All You Can Eat Wings Special Golden Corral Serving Up All You Can Eat Wings Special
Golden Corral Serving Up All You Can Eat Wings Special Golden Corral is expanding its dinner buffet to include unlimited bone-in and boneless chicken wings. The promotion is available now at participating restaurants after 4 p.m. on weekdays and during regular weekend dinner hours, although prices and schedules may vary by location. Golden Corral says the promotion is to "close out summer," but did not give a specific end date. The Raleigh, North Carolina-based chain said the seasonal feature brings back its traditional Buffalo-sauced bone-in wings and introduces hand-breaded boneless pieces served plain so diners can add Sweet Chili, Garlic P…

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by Joe Lombardi
Arlington, VA
On Your Side
Repeat Jobless Claims Hit Four-Year High Amid Weak July Jobs Report Repeat Jobless Claims Hit Four-Year High Amid Weak July Jobs Report Repeat Jobless Claims Hit Four-Year High Amid Weak July Jobs Report
Repeat Jobless Claims Hit Four-Year High Amid Weak July Jobs Report The number of Americans continuing to file for unemployment benefits has surged to its highest level in nearly four years, according to new federal data. Continued unemployment claims topped 1.97 million during the week ending on Saturday, July 26, the Department of Labor said on Thursday, Aug. 7. That's the most since early November 2021, when the insured unemployment level reached 2.04 million. Repeat claims rose by 38,000 from the previous week. The DOL data signals that more jobseekers are struggling to find work and remain on unemployment. In the Northeast, se…

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by Chris Spiker
National Interest
Nearly Half Of Americans Surveyed Say Trump Is Corrupt As Approval Slides In New UMass Poll Nearly Half Of Americans Surveyed Say Trump Is Corrupt As Approval Slides In New UMass Poll Nearly Half Of Americans Surveyed Say Trump Is Corrupt As Approval Slides In New UMass Poll
Nearly Half Of Americans Surveyed Say Trump Is Corrupt As Approval Slides In New UMass Poll A new national poll suggests trouble is mounting for President Donald Trump, and not just with independents. Trump’s job approval rating has taken a major hit since spring, sliding six points and now sitting 20 points underwater, according to a national survey conducted by the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The poll, involving 1,000 adults nationwide and conducted between Friday, July 25 and Wednesday, July 30, found that only 38 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s performance, compared to 58 percent who disapprove. In April, Trump’s approval stood at 44 approving, 51 percent dis…

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by Joe Lombardi
Hartford, CT
On Your Side
Grocery Bills Causing Major Stress For Most Americans As Food Costs Rise: Poll Grocery Bills Causing Major Stress For Most Americans As Food Costs Rise: Poll Grocery Bills Causing Major Stress For Most Americans As Food Costs Rise: Poll
Grocery Bills Causing Major Stress For Most Americans As Food Costs Rise: Poll Most Americans say grocery prices are now a top source of stress, as inflation and President Donald Trump's tariffs drive up the cost of many everyday essentials, a new poll shows. About 86% said the cost of groceries is a "major" or "minor" source of stress in their lives, according to a national survey from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. More than half (53%) said supermarket prices were a major stressor, while just 14% said that groceries aren't a source of stress. Pollsters also found that two-thirds of households earning under $30,…

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by Chris Spiker