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NEW YORK (AP) — Between rising prices and dwindling job growth, using “buy now, pay later” on everything from concert tickets to fast food deliveries is becoming increasingly appealing. But greater use could also mean greater trouble, as more people fall behind on repaying these loans.Buy now, pay later loans gained popularity during the pandemic, especially among young people. While these loans can help you make large purchases without paying interest or undergoing a hard inquiry in your credit report, they can also easily be overused. About 4 in 10 Americans under the age of 45 say they’ve used “buy…

Gerry Cardinale’s firm RedBird Capital Partners is investing $1.8 billion toward Skydance’s $8 billion deal. Here’s how the tycoon became a billionaire—and how he may wield his influence at the new-look Paramount. The year-long saga of Skydance Media’s $8 billion Paramount takeover is fit for its own Paramount+ mini-series. There’s political intrigue with critics slamming departing boss Shari Redstone’s apparent capitulation to Donald Trump to get the deal approved, including Paramount’s agreement to pay $16 million to Trump’s future presidential library to resolve a lawsuit over a 60 Minutes segment on Kamala Harris followed by CBS News’ announcement that it…

I’ve seen a rash of social media posts recommending the application of sticky-tape bands around tree trunks to prevent spotted lanternflies and other garden pests from accessing tree canopies and munching on foliage. But those bands also catch caterpillars, butterflies, bees and birds, which would be difficult to free without ripping off their limbs or breaking their wings.Similarly, glue traps are cruel devices, holding hostage everything from basement cave crickets to terrified mice and rats until they starve to death.Recently, after noticing a rustling sound coming from my attic, I discovered a family of squirrels had settled in, presumably after…

NEW YORK (AP) — Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Richard Russo i s the latest author to be welcomed into the inner circle of Oprah Winfrey book club picks. Winfrey announced Tuesday that she had selected Russo’s “Bridge of Sighs,” a 2007 novel centered in a rural New York community. Russo has set much of his work in small, Northeastern towns, including “Nobody’s Fool,” later adapted into a movie of the same name that starred Paul Newman; and “Empire Falls,” winner of the Pulitzer in 2002 and the basis for an Emmy-winning HBO series that featured Newman and his wife, Joanne Woodward.…

MINOT, N.D. (AP) — High atop a massive grain elevator in the middle of Minot, North Dakota, artist Guido van Helten swipes a concrete wall with a brush that looks more appropriate for painting a fence than creating a monumental mural.Back and forth van Helten brushes, focused on his work and not bothered by the sheer enormity of his task as he stands in a boom lift, 75 feet (23 meters) off the ground, and focused on a few square feet of a structure that stretches over most of a city block.“When you use these old structures to kinda share…

New Orleans legend Big Freedia returning with a new gospel album and the acting trio of Eddie Murphy, Pete Davidson and Keke Palmer teaming up for the armored truck action comedy “The Pickup” are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.Also among the streaming offerings worth your time, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: The animated “King of the Hill” returns after a 15-year pause, the first half of season two of “Wednesday” lands on Netflix appropriately on Wednesday and the “Welcome to Wrexham” spinoff “NECAXA” premieres with Eva Longoria.…

PORTO NOVO, Benin (AP) — A traditional mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin, showcases the country’s unique face masks and full-body costumes, that are tied to ancient customs and traditions. ___ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors. People dress in costumes and dance during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) People dress in costumes and dance during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)Read More People dress in costumes attend the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday,…

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — It is like any other church in Nigeria ‘s megacity of Lagos. A lectern faces rows of plastic chairs. A biblical quote is written on a beam above. There is a music section, with a set of drums. Sash-wearing church wardens move around to enforce order.But it is also different. For hours, the only sounds are exclamations and thunderous bursts of drums, with their vibrations the cues for when to pray, kneel or respond to the preacher’s calls for “Hallelujah.” This is a church for deaf people in Somolu, a mixed-income suburb, where about 50 to…

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The smell of frying garlic and ginger is inescapable as it wafts through the room, while a row of fidgety kids watches an older woman in a blue plaid apron cooking in front of them. “When I was growing up my mom used to make this a lot,” she says, showing a chicken stir fry recipe. At this “Intergenerational Summer Camp” in a Southern California suburb, the grandmas are in charge. Every week, they taught a group of 8-to-14-year-olds how to cook a new dish and a do a handicraft such as sewing, embroidering, clay jewelry…

When wildfires burn, the smoke can travel long distances and degrade air quality far away, which presents risks for those breathing it. Fires burning in one state can make air worse several states away, and wildfires in Canada can send smoke into U.S. cities.Here’s what to know about taking precautions against poor air quality due to wildfires.What counts as bad air?The EPA’s Air Quality Index converts all pollutant levels into a single number. The lower the number, the better.Anything below 50 is classified as “healthy.” Fifty to 100 is “moderate” while 100-150 is unhealthy for “sensitive groups,” and anything above…