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This week’s CPI, PPI and inflation data will impact your household finances

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This week’s CPI, PPI and inflation data will impact your household finances

staff report
|America Today

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1 week overview

If you’re tired of hearing about inflation, interest rates, and the economy without anyone understanding what it actually means for your bill, this week’s lineup is worth a look. New data released this week will bring three big questions into focus in the coming days.

  1. How long will these high interest rates continue?
  2. Are prices rising again behind the scenes?
  3. How does the average person feel about their finances and the economy?

Those answers will help you decide whether you need to tighten your budget, speed up your debt repayments, or stay as is for the time being.

Key economic reports to watch and why they matter

Think of this week’s data as a check on both price and mood. Here’s what you need to know:

consumer price index

Here are the first reports to watch this week: you Payroll: How prices change for things like groceries, gas, rent, and other everyday expenses. If it shows that prices are still rising at a faster pace than expected, it means your salary may not grow as much. The CPI for May 2026 is expected to be released on the next day. Wednesday June 10th.

producer price index

Second, look at how much the company pays. When costs go up, they often pass it on to you in the form of higher prices at the store, at the pump, or on your monthly bill. The PPI for May 2026 is expected to be released in the following days. Thursday, June 11th.

Consumer sentiment survey

Third, ask how they feel about their finances and economy. When people feel gloomy, they tend to refrain from traveling, eating out, and making big purchases. expect it to surface Friday June 12th.

Overall, these numbers all impact the same question that you are probably most interested in. How long will it be before borrowing money becomes cheap again?

The important thing to remember is that the Federal Reserve is monitoring all of this to determine when to ultimately start cutting rates. Your decision will affect you in the following ways:

  • credit card rate
  • car and personal loans
  • mortgage interest rate
  • What you get from saving

In case you missed it: These 8 “Financial Fixes” Will Save You Money in Less than an Hour

What this means for your money now

Here’s a quick way to break it all down.

Consumer price index and everyday costs

If the CPI report shows that prices have increased more than expected, it indicates that:

  • Day-to-day costs are still rising.
  • Borrowing costs (credit card, car loan, mortgage interest rates, etc.) are unlikely to go down anytime soon.
  • Even if inflation isn’t as high as it was a few years ago, you may continue to feel like everything is still expensive.

If the CPI reflects a gradual rise in prices, that’s a win, even if we don’t see a dramatic change. It’s more likely that:

  • Price increases are starting to slow, especially in large categories such as food, energy, and housing.
  • The Fed is more reluctant to cut rates later this year or next.
  • Over time, you’ll get some relief from interest rates on mortgages, car loans, and cards.

What you can do now

Review your top five monthly expenses and see where you can cut back.

If inflation looks like it’s going to continue, focus on essentials. Plan meals, compare prices, and find cheaper replacements for groceries, gas, and insurance. Once inflation subsides, resist the urge to celebrate by overspending. Instead, pay off your debt or rebuild your savings whenever you can.

Producer price index and monthly bill

If the PPI rises, meaning that companies pay more again, that’s a sign:

If your reporting improves, which means your costs are stable or decreasing, that’s a small win for your budget. Prices won’t suddenly drop, but the following are more likely:

  • Price increases will slow.
  • The Fed is confident it will cut rates later this year or next.
  • Eventually, you will see some relief in interest rates on loans and cards.

What you can do now

Choose one bill you would actively oppose this week: Insurance, Phone Plans, Internet, Streaming. Call, negotiate, cancel.

Look out for creative pricing changes (smaller packaging, higher commissions) and switch to store brands or alternatives when appropriate.

Americans’ emotions affect the economy

Consumer sentiment research is about job security, big purchases, and atmosphere, and those atmospheres are important. When people are depressed about the economy:

  • Delay big purchases like a car or a house.
  • They cut back on traveling, concerts, and eating out.
  • If possible, you might increase your savings out of fear.

When people feel better:

  • They are more willing to spend money and take on big commitments.
  • Companies may see that and feel it’s safer to hire more people or give them raises.

What you can do now

Even if this week’s Consumer Sentiment Survey shows people are feeling even worse than they have been lately, paychecks won’t change overnight. But it’s a reminder to be ready. If possible, set up a small emergency fund so you know which expenses to cut first if you run out of money. Be realistic about big purchases. You may need a larger cushion than usual.

If you feel better, that bodes well for job security and pay. But that doesn’t mean you should throw your budget out the window.

3 smart money moves to make this week

No matter what your numbers are, you can use this week’s report as a reminder to adjust your finances. According to experts, here are three practical moves you can use to defeat it in a day or two.

1. Give your highest interest debt a little extra love.

If you have a balance on your credit card, this is probably where high interest rates hurt you the most. Log into your account and sort by interest rate. Choose the one with the highest rate and send one additional payment, no matter how small. If you’re settling for the minimum, increase your one-time payment by even $20 or $30 this month. We can’t control when the Fed will eventually cut rates, but we can control how long we will continue to carry high debt.

2. Make sure you actually get something out of the money you save.

If you have cash sitting in your checking account or an old low-interest savings account, now is the time to fix it.

Check the current interest rate on your savings. If it’s close to zero, consider opening a high-yield savings account with a better interest rate. Move any cash you don’t need for your bills to that high-interest account. Higher interest rates hurt debt, but they also end up paying savers more. Be sure to get your share.

3. Pressure test your budget

Use this week’s headlines as inspiration for your budget stress test. Ask yourself:

  • If your rent or mortgage goes up a little, where will that money come from?
  • If interest rates stay high for another year, will you still be able to reach your goals?
  • If your job became more unstable, what would be the first expense you would cut?

No need for a 20-tab spreadsheet. Even just a quick list of expenses you need to maintain and expenses you can cut can help you feel more in control.

Conclusion: High interest rates may continue

You can’t control the numbers, but you can chip away at high-interest debt, work harder at saving, and create a simple plan for big bills. If you treat each report as a reminder to do one small money task rather than an excuse to panic, you’ll get through this period of high interest rates better than most.

This story was created with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing, and publication process. learn more.

Are Spencer Pratt and Tom Steyer on the losing side? CA race updates

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Are Spencer Pratt and Tom Steyer on the losing side? CA race updates

In the Los Angeles mayoral primary, progressive City Council member Nitya Raman will take on reality TV star Spencer Pratt and face incumbent Mayor Karen Bass.

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The results of California’s primary election are reminiscent of the MTV reality show “The Hills,” with former villain Spencer Pratt ousted in the Los Angeles mayoral race.

Meanwhile, billionaire businessman and Democrat Tom Steyer remains behind British-born Republican political strategist Steve Hilton in the race to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump.

The candidates who advance to the November general election will face former U.S. Secretary of Health Xavier Becerra, who has already been voted forward by voters in the Golden State.

Each California election offers voters an up-close look at the nation’s most populous state’s unique “jungle” primary, with the top two candidates advancing regardless of party.

California vote counting continues After Becerra won the gubernatorial race.

California is attracting significant national attention as observers await the results of both primaries. Pratt, a conservative political outsider, is banking on dissatisfaction from incumbent Mayor Karen Bass’ handling of last year’s Los Angeles wildfires in his ambitious bid to unseat the former congressman.

All eyes are now on the Democratic Party, which is aiming to succeed Newsom in the gubernatorial election. Former Rep. Eric Swalwell, once considered a front-runner, resigned from Congress and withdrew from the race on April 14 following allegations of sexual misconduct.

Did Spencer Pratt win? Nithya Raman talks to ‘The Hills’ alumnus

In the Los Angeles mayoral race, Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman is closing in on Pratt. Mr. Basu is currently in first place with 34.81% of the vote and will advance to the general election in November, while Mr. Raman is in third place with 26.21% of the vote, a close difference to Mr. Platt who is currently in second place with 27.32%. Primary election votes are still being counted.

Bass was followed by Pratt at 28.24% and Raman at 24.89%, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder and County Clerk on Friday, June 5th. Raman’s 1.32 percentage point increase since Friday was significant for her campaign.

spencer pratt brings reality LA mayoral election

The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk processed 156,965 ballots on June 6th. The total number of ballots processed is 1,774,846, according to the department. This represents 30.12% of registered voters.

Who will compete to replace Gavin Newsom: Steve Hilton or Tom Steyer?

The battle with former Health Secretary Becerra remains fundamentally unchanged. Republican challenger Steve Hilton received 26.1% of the vote, compared to 26.4% the day before. Mr. Steyer rose slightly more, but remained in third place, up 21.3% from 21.1%, according to the California Secretary of State’s Office.

The gubernatorial election has attracted national attention from the beginning. Former Vice President Kamala Harris announced in July last year that she would not run for governor, raising questions about her ability to run for president again.

Sen. Alex Padilla, the state’s senior senator, has declined to run in November 2025. Rep. Katie Porter, who faced major controversy after a video surfaced of her taunting a former congressional staffer, used the viral backlash in a campaign ad. “So, could you all please step away from my shooting?” Porter joked.

June 7 will be the sixth day after in-person voting ends on June 2 that California state election officials will process primary ballots postmarked by Election Day. President Trump, who gave Hilton over Sheriff Chad Bianco a much-needed endorsement, is scrutinizing the slow-moving tally.

Trump pardons former Republican congressman Member of Parliament. What was he convicted of?

In a series of posts on his Truth social media platform, Trump wrote that Democrats were “stealing votes” in the gubernatorial race, without providing evidence.

Pratt also posted a meme on June 6th that questioned the security of the Los Angeles election. He wrote, “Trying to understand how votes are counted in Los Angeles.”

California election officials say the state is experiencing an influx of mail-in ballots, which will take time to count.

Singer Natasha Bedingfield declares, “The rest is yet to be written” in the “Hills” theme song, which Raman used in the closing campaign ad.

Contributions: Terry Collins, Paris Barazza

For some drug addicts, saints also help and justify a life of violent crime.

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For some drug addicts, saints also help and justify a life of violent crime.

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Did he mutter a desperate prayer to St. Jude for help in his final moments as bullets flew in the fateful shootout that left the Mexican drug lord known as El Mencho fatally wounded?

Nemesio Oseguera, co-founder and head of the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG), one of Mexico’s most wanted fugitives until he was killed in a Mexican military raid in February, was spending his final days in a luxury villa in Jalisco that featured a makeshift shrine featuring Catholic saints and a handwritten copy of the Bible’s 91st Psalm.

This brutal cartel is the nation’s most prolific trafficker of cocaine, heroin, and meth, and, according to the U.S. Department of State, is also the pipeline for fentanyl into U.S. soil. Still, El Mencho’s handmade altar contained statues symbolizing his typical Catholic upbringing. Statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico. Saint Martin Caballero, patron saint of soldiers and travelers. and St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of desperate situations.

“There couldn’t be a more orthodox Catholic,” said Andrew Chesnutt, a professor of Catholic studies at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond and an expert on Latin American Catholicism.

How can someone steeped in drug violence reconcile such a life with the devotional practice of Catholicism? Chesnutt said El Mencho, who grew up in the deeply Catholic state of Michoacán in Mexico, is like any other criminal who maintains a balance between villainy and worship, absolving or justifying the act of circumventing traditional religious frameworks to earn a living.

“It’s a complete departure from Christian moral guidelines,” he says. In that sense, he added, El Mencho and other drug traffickers are no different from the Italian mafia, which has relied on Catholic saints to protect, prosper and legitimize its operations.

Along with the saints found on the altar of El Mencho, another saint embraced by drug culture is the Santo Niño of Atocha, said Robert Almonte, a law enforcement trainer and consultant in San Antonio, Texas. It is a childlike statue of Christ, known as the patron saint of prisoners of war and those in danger. Almonte said drug lord Ovidio Guzman, the son of notorious Sinaloa kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzman, was wearing a pendant with an image of the Holy Infant when he was captured in 2019.

He said the most popular saint among Mexican drug traffickers is St. Jude Thaddeus, who was first embraced by Colombian drug cartels. St. Jude is the patron saint of lost causes and difficult situations, and to Catholics, for example, those seeking help for a terminally ill relative, Almonte said, “If you’re driving down the highway in a car loaded with drugs, you’re asking St. Jude to help make sure the drugs get to their destination.”

But experts say drug agents often pray to Mexican folk saints who are not recognized by the Catholic Church, such as Santa Muerte (Holy Death) or Jesus Malverde, whose following extends far beyond the underworld.

That’s one of the benefits of folk saints, Chesnutt said. Since they operate outside of the Catholic framework, one can ask them anything. “They’re not operating within Christian morality, so if you want to ask them to bless a shipment of fentanyl to Atlanta, that’s kosher,” he said.

Folk saints fill a void in a largely Catholic country where many saints with roots in old Europe do not necessarily resonate. Jesús Malverde, for example, was a Robin Hood-like figure modeled on the legendary green-clad Mexican bandit who distributed his plunder to the poor, earning him favor among the feared Sinaloa cartel.

“If you’re dissolving bodies in vats of acid, you can’t go to work every week and attend Sunday Mass,” said Robert Bunker, an international security and counterterrorism consultant who studies cartels. “You are not living a good Christian life. No matter how many Hail Mary you say, you are still not a clean slate.”

As Cultural Geographics once pointed out, the association with Jesús Malverde added powerful symbolism to the drug gangs that financed improvements in areas not supported by the government. One such central figure “built a church, kindergarten, and volleyball court in his hometown of Guam Chilito,” the report states.

As Almonte says, “Mexican cartel members often think they are doing the right thing.”

The Rise of Santa Muerte

Another folk saint associated with Narco culture is Santa Muerte. Due to Shinigami’s appearance and relative obscurity, it is assumed that he has malicious intent. News reports have referred to her as the “patron saint of cartels,” but a news release from the Texas governor’s office noted that a Santa Muerte altar was discovered in a stash raid in 2023, indicating “links to Mexican cartels.”

Chesnutt said the demonization of Santa Muerte began with former Mexican President Felipe Calderon, who said a military-led crackdown on cartels that began in 2006 included the destruction of numerous Santa Muerte shrines.

“He listed Santa Muerte as public enemy number one,” said Chesnutt, author of “Dedicated to Death: Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint.” “There’s no denying that Santa Muerte has a strong following in the cartel. If you want to bring death to your enemies, or if you’re looking for protection from death, wouldn’t it be better to ask for more hourglasses than death itself?”

Santa Muerte, who is often depicted with a crown and sickle, a globe in his hand, and an owl at his feet, is a product of religious overlap dating back to the Spanish conquest. Scholars say Catholic missionaries in the 16th century introduced the European figure of the Grim Reaper to Mexico’s indigenous peoples, believing that the fear of death would instill a desire for salvation and convert them to Christianity.

Rather, Chesnutt said, indigenous peoples associated the figure with the god of death in their own ancient belief system. This fusion eventually produced what would become Santa Muerte, despite the church’s efforts to eliminate her, and by the 1940s she was seen primarily as a love magician, calling on women to take back their wayward partners “under penalty of hitting them with the sickle.”

And in 2001, believers in Mexico City’s Tepito neighborhood installed a life-sized statue of Santa Muerte on the sidewalk outside their home because they had nowhere to put it, inadvertently sparking what Chesnutt calls “the fastest-growing religious movement on earth.” He said the statue is now housed in a glass case attached to a woman’s house, the most famous Santa Muerte shrine in the world.

Chesnutt estimates that Santa Muerte currently has 13 million to 14 million followers worldwide, the majority in Mexico and the American Southwest.

William Calvo-Quiros, a professor at the University of Michigan, said most are practicing and cultural Catholics who look to Mr. Santa Muerte for his reputation as a quick-fix solution. In his book, “Undocumented Saints: The Politics of Migratory Piety,” Calvo-Quiros said the cult of Santa Muerte is a form of spiritual pragmatism that is “less concerned with the afterlife than with the sufferings of this life.”

In Mexico, Santa Muerte has found appeal among the poor and marginalized, especially those at risk of drug violence and other dangers, who look to the “ladies with bones” for protection. As the Institute for Economics and Peace’s Humanity Vision reported earlier this year, Mexico’s homicide rate nearly doubled from 2015 to 2019, from 15.1 to 28.2 deaths per 100,000 people, an increase that coincides with the nationwide expansion of El Mencho’s CJNG cartel.

“She’s especially popular with people who may be facing death,” Chesnutt says. “That includes Mexican law enforcement and soldiers. I really call her the patron saint of the drug war.”

Temples dedicated to Santa Muerte have sprung up from Guadalajara and Los Angeles to villages in Michoacán. Believers are sharing offerings and prayers on Reddit, and statues of Santa Muerte, medals and bracelets are common at botanicas in the American Southwest. Dallas’ La Luz Botanical Garden held a “Noche de Santa” celebration of the folk saint in December.

“It’s a faith even for Catholics,” said Xenia Vitella, co-owner of the store. Although he is not a Santa Muerte believer himself, he stocks products for believers. “My tier was a believer.”

The Catholic Church is not happy. When Pope Francis addressed Mexico’s bishops in 2016, he only vaguely mentioned Santa Muerte and her cartel connections, but expressed concern about “the many who are seduced by the vain forces of the world, who glorify illusions, embrace its macabre symbols, and commodify death in exchange for money.”

In a statement issued the following year, the Catholic bishop of San Angelo, Texas, called the cult of Santa Muerte “spiritually dangerous” and a “perversion of devotion to the saint.”

Such declarations mean little to believers like Marta Azcona, owner of Botanica La Fe a la Santissima Muerte in Fort Worth, Texas. The store is filled with statues of Santa Muerte, candles, bracelets, and ornaments. Occasionally, she hosts potluck-style Santa Muerte gatherings under a full moon with a bonfire in the parking lot.

Azcona, 47, said people who visit her botanical garden for blessings and spiritual cleansing feel left out in traditional religious settings because of their sexuality, tattoos or other factors. Some people hide the Santa Muerte altar in their homes from relatives and friends because of its negative connotations.

“They go to church, but they feel like they’re being judged,” said Azcona, who was raised Catholic. “There is no judgment here. People who come to her feel that everyone has turned against them. Where are they going to run away? To others who are feeling the same pain.”

Azcona stretches his forearm, revealing a tattoo of Jesus on one side and Santa Muerte on the other.

“If God and Santa (Muerte) are with us, who can be against us?” she said. “no one.”

People like Bunker said that kind of mentality is a concern, and that the flexibility allowed under Santa Muerte could make such devotion dangerous if she were to be seen less as an intermediary and more as a “goddess in her own sense.”

Almonte, the San Antonio consultant, agreed.

“Cartel members believe that no matter how much criminal activity they are involved in, as long as they pray to Santa Muerte, she will take them to heaven,” Almonte said. “That makes them even more dangerous, because they’re not afraid of dying.”

What to do before new student loan rules take effect on July 1st

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What to do before new student loan rules take effect on July 1st

staff report
|America Today

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Federal student loan rules are set to change on July 1, and waiting borrowers may have fewer repayment options than they currently have. This change affects both repayment plans and some loan programs, including Parent PLUS and graduate borrowing.

Some existing plans will close to new borrowers, some will be phased out over time, and SAVE plan borrowers may be automatically transferred if they don’t choose a new option, according to federal announcements and student loan experts.. Borrowers who do not select a new plan within 90 days provided by their loan servicer will be automatically enrolled in either the standard repayment plan or the new tiered standard plan, the Department of Education said.

As Medora Lee recently wrote, the important question for borrowers is not the specifics of the policy, but what action to take now. This includes finding out which repayment plan you’re on, whether your loan was paid before or after July 1, and whether you need to consolidate your Parent PLUS loan by the deadline. The main place to check your options is studentaid.gov.

1. Check your repayment plan now

Experts say you should review your federal student loan accounts by July 1 because multiple repayment options will change at once. The most immediate step you can take is to log into studentaid.gov and see which plan you’re in and what options are still available to you.

Jack Wallace, director of government and loan relations at Illefee, said borrowers may be able to take advantage of things now that may not be available in the future. Waiting can limit the options available to you.

2. If you’re on SAVE, don’t think you can stay there

Borrowers still enrolled in the now-defunct “Saving on a Valuable Education” plan will be contacted by their loan servicer around July 1 and given a 90-day grace period to transition to the new payment plan, according to a Department of Education announcement linked in the note. Approximately 7.5 million borrowers were enrolled in SAVE.

Many SAVE borrowers have put their repayments on hold. Bright Horizons’ Stacey McFettle said that because standard plans can have higher monthly payments, borrowers are strongly encouraged to consider and apply for other income-based plans before the automatic deadline. More information is available at ed.gov.

If you are seeking public service loan forgiveness or income-based forgiveness, payments made while remaining in SAVE will not count toward your progress, McFettle said. He said existing borrowers can switch to IBR if they qualify.

3. Parent Plus borrowers may be required to consolidate before July 1st.

For parents with Parent PLUS loans, the biggest action is consolidation. Borrowers must consolidate these loans into a Direct Consolidation Loan by July 1 to remain eligible for programs such as income-driven repayment options and public service loan forgiveness.

Parents who do not integrate by then will permanently lose access to income-driven repayment plans and PSLF. Instead, you’ll be limited to a standard repayment plan, which can result in higher monthly bills.

4. Some repayment plans have been terminated or phased out

Some existing repayment plans are limited. PAYE and ICR will no longer be available for loans taken out after July 1, and both plans will be completely phased out by July 1, 2028, with borrowers in these plans having until June 30, 2028 to choose a new repayment option. Existing borrowers with old loans may still keep them for now.

IBR is also changing. Existing IBR plans will be discontinued for loans disbursed before July, but the plan will close applications to new enrollees on July 1st. If you think one of these plans fits your situation, the practical step is to check whether you qualify for a loan before closing.

5. New borrowers have fewer repayment options

Starting July 1, only two repayment plans will be available to new borrowers: the Standard Repayment Plan and the new Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP).

Standard plans offer fixed monthly payments for 10 to 30 years, depending on the loan. Monthly payments can be higher, but the total interest typically reduces over time, according to the Department of Education. RAP is described in the note as an income-driven plan with payments ranging from 1% to 10% of adjusted gross income, or $10 per month for borrowers earning less than $10,000 a year, and is forgiven after 30 years of repayment, although actual payments vary by income band and can also be adjusted based on dependents.

6. PLUS loan limits for graduates and parents will also change

Borrowers planning to take out new loans for graduate school or a dependent’s education may also want to check the timing. After July 1, Graduate PLUS loans will no longer be offered, but some existing borrowers may continue under the old limits for up to three academic years if they have made at least one payment by that date.

New Direct Unsubsidized Graduate Loans are capped at $20,500 per year, with a total cap of $100,000 for standard graduate programs, and $50,000 per year, with a total cap of $200,000 for certain specialized programs. Parent PLUS loans are capped at $20,000 per student per year, with a lifetime limit of $65,000 per dependent unless the borrower becomes a grandparent under the old rules.

If you plan to borrow under the current rules, it may be important that your application is approved and the first disbursement occurs before July 1, but what ultimately determines eligibility under the old rules is whether the loan is actually disbursed before July 1, 2026.

This story was created with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing, and publication process. learn more.

Parenting these days is hell. The reason is as follows

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Parenting these days is hell. The reason is as follows

With a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old on each hip and suffering from postpartum anxiety, Kristin Gallant of the viral brand Big Little Feelings remembers looking around her neighborhood and scrolling through social media for clues. She said this whole “parenting” thing gave her clues about what exactly she should be doing.

“Everyone looked a lot different than me,” she said. This was before she became a parenting influencer. “They all seemed to be doing perfect. They all seemed to be cutting little cute shapes for snacks, and their hair was breaking out. It wasn’t like a diaper breakout, but that was an issue I was dealing with. They were wearing makeup. I was like, how do these people do this? What’s wrong with me?”

They make a lot of money by speaking online. Inside the world of Momful Enthusiasm

Kanika Chadda Gupta, a New Jersey mother, remembers similar feelings.

“A lot of people told me what to do. We had a nanny, a few nannies, a mother-in-law, a lot of aunts,” she said, adding that some of the advice she got was helpful. “But I felt really stuck, with so many opinions to sift through.”

Eventually, Gallant and Chadagupta discovered that many other parents were facing the same problem. I was overwhelmed by the culture of comparison and the constant flow of opinions and information, both in person and on social media.

“You look at social media and all of a sudden you’re like, ‘Oh my god, maybe I should make my own granola bars for my kids,'” said Anushka Salinas, CEO of baby monitor brand Nanit. “No, no, I don’t have time for that.”

Feeling overwhelmed with parenting is nothing new, but algorithms have made it inevitable, making it more pressing than ever, parents and experts say. Social media, especially influencer accounts and the ever-increasing number of new products, are exacerbating the feeling that parenting is becoming increasingly intense, extravagant, and harder to succeed.

“Bad Mamacon”

Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code and founder and CEO of Moms First, said previous generations encountered parenting feedback at social gatherings like school picnics and backyard barbecues. Parents now have many images of what they “should” do for their children. Because of this, Saujani says, “I always feel like I’m a bad mother.”

“We intentionally made that impossible,” Saujani said. “And it’s always been like this.”

School days and work days don’t match. Some working parents plan to return to work as little as two weeks after giving birth. All of these systems work together to make parents, especially mothers, feel like they’re failing, Saujani says.

She calls it “bad motherhood,” and explores it in her new documentary, No Country For Mothers. It dates back more than 200 years and has been labeled by many different labels, including helicopter moms, working moms, free-range moms, and breastfeeding and bottle-feeding moms.

“Every time we make some progress, we bring another divisive culture war,” Saujani said.

But there is hope, she said. When parents see others feeling just as lost and devastated as they are, it can be both comforting and upsetting. “I always say there is nothing more powerful than an angry mother.”

Our system is designed to make parents, especially mothers, uncomfortable.

Parents everywhere feel their bodies are getting thinner. A recent survey of 5,500 parents by New America found that 72% of parents want to spend more quality time with their children. A 2026 survey of nearly 1,500 parents by Nannit found that more than half of working parents said they rarely or never felt like they were spending enough time with their children, and two-thirds of stay-at-home parents said they felt guilty when they needed a break or wanted time alone.

Ironically, today’s parents actually spend more time with their children than previous generations, Salinas says. However, there is an idea that good parenting requires constant presence and optimization, which is completely unrealistic.

Siggy Cohen, author of You Are The Parent, says many parents feel that everything they do has a huge impact on their child’s future. That’s not true, she said.

“Think about it: When you’re overdoing it, what is it for? Who are you trying to please? What are you aiming for?” she said. “How to match something that doesn’t actually exist?”

Parenting isn’t about giving your kids the most museum memberships, library books, toys and games, Cohen said. And she asks her parents: “If we are always preoccupied with what is best for our children, are we leaving ourselves behind?”

All parents feel parental guilt, but mothers tend to be more affected by feeling overwhelmed or embarrassed. A recent LogicMark survey found that men are more likely to describe caregiving as rewarding, while women are more likely to describe it as difficult and worrying. In a recent survey of more than 1,000 women conducted by Kantar for Teleflora, 91% of respondents said they experienced “mom guilt” and 71% said they felt pressured to live up to expectations of being the “perfect” mother.

In both the Nanit and Teleflora surveys, most parents said the pressure to do more for their children came from within themselves. But Saujani said there is no denying the impact social media is having on parents’ purchasing and parenting habits, and the sense that parents are always behind the curve. Between influencer promotions, new advertising algorithms, and neighborhood conversations, there’s always pressure to do, buy, and give more to our kids, whether it’s a breakthrough potty training method, all-important swim lessons, or that must-have $1,200 Snoo basket.

Do online communities help or hurt your mental strain?

A New America survey found that parents also want more time for themselves.

“What they’re saying is, ‘We want something different than what’s currently being offered,'” said Alison Silkowski, senior policy adviser at New America’s New Practice Lab, a nonpartisan Washington, D.C.-based think tank.

Chadagupta realized that some parents may unintentionally make things difficult for themselves. They don’t want to miss soccer practice, even if it means an hour alone. She aspires to see parents adopt a more community-driven approach to raising children.

Megan Hughes, a South Carolina mother, said she sometimes misses her son’s basketball games and feels guilty about it. But talking to other mothers helps, she said.

“Seeing other moms going through things like that made me feel a little more normal and knowing you weren’t the only one missing out on something,” she said.

Gallant and Chadagupta said their situation improved when they realized that the ideal of “perfect parents” was a myth. That’s why Gallant founded the parenting platform Big Little Feelings, and why Chadha Gupta hosts the podcast That’s Total Mom Sense.

Gallant said social media can be good for parents as long as it’s intentional and parents try to “not see things that make them feel bad” and try to accept parents like themselves.

“I’m more of a messy mom. I’m more of a type B mom. I’m always late,” she said. “But I try to look at all of this in a positive light, but I really accept that there’s no one right way to do it.”

Chadha-Gupta always tells people to follow their instincts, their sixth sense, which she calls “mother sense.” After all, she said, she knows herself and her children better than any influencer, podcaster or self-proclaimed “parenting expert.” Most days she cooks Indian food for her children and listens to hymns in the morning.

“No parenting book tells you to do that, right?” she said. “You have to find out what works for your personality type, your partner, your kids, and really tune out the noise.”

Madeline Mitchell’s role covering women and the care economy for USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Pivotal and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input.Contact Madeline at: memitchell@usatoday.com and @maddiemitch_ With X.

Jennifer Boresen is a graphic journalist at USA TODAY, specializing in explanatory graphics and illustrations in a variety of fields, including politics, science, weather, and entertainment.

Here’s why you can probably retire with less than $1 million

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Here’s why you can probably retire with less than $1 million

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Conventional wisdom about retirement planning says that to retire with peace of mind, you should aim to save 10 times your annual income, or the “magic number” well above $1 million.

But research on actual retirees shows that these savings goals may be too high, at least for most of us.

The typical retiree has just $126,000 in household savings, according to the 2025 Retirement Study by Transamerica Retirement Research Center. Other research suggests that only about half of retirees have any savings for retirement.

And importantly, most retirees say they’re doing pretty well.

In an April Gallup poll, 82% of retirees said they had enough money to live comfortably.

In the 2025 Federal Survey on Household Economics and Decision Making, 83% of Americans age 60 and older said they were “comfortable” or “doing just fine” financially.

Additionally, a Transamerica survey found that 76% of retirees said they were confident they would be able to maintain a comfortable lifestyle in retirement.

“If you’re asking, ‘Are we adequately prepared for retirement?’ all of these numbers show that we are,” said Andrew Biggs, a senior fellow at the libertarian group American Enterprise Institute.

Do you really need $1 million to retire comfortably?

A few years ago, Mr. Biggs made headlines for a Wall Street Journal column with the provocative headline, “You Don’t Have to Be a Millionaire to Retire.”

What he means is that you can retire with less than $1 million. Most Americans do. And, as research repeatedly suggests, most of them seem to be doing well.

The financial security of American retirees is a topic of endless debate.

Biggs said voices in the retirement industry and news media are exaggerating the concept of a retirement “crisis” and exaggerating the need for households to save seven figures for a comfortable retirement. He’s not the only one who thinks so.

“I agree that not everyone needs $1 million,” said Anki Chen, associate director of savings and finances at Boston University’s Center for Retirement Research. “That’s a very high number for some people, but it’s not high enough for others. This one number doesn’t apply to everyone.”

Most Americans retire with less than $1 million in retirement benefits

Regardless of the benefits of a $1 million retirement account, most Americans retire with much less than that.

How well they do is a more nuanced question.

In the 2026 EBRI/Greenwald Retirement Confidence Survey, nearly three-quarters of retirees rated their financial well-being as good, very good, or excellent. Additionally, 73% said they were confident they would have enough money for retirement.

“Most retirees seem to be getting by,” said Craig Copeland, director of wealth benefits research at the Employee Benefit Research Institute. “However, it becomes difficult to define how to make ends meet.”

When it comes to saving, retirees lack confidence.

In a Transamerica survey, only 56% of retirees said they believed they had built an adequate retirement nest egg.

And this finding makes sense given that only about half of America’s oldest adults have a retirement account.

“They’re doing well financially,” Transamerica Center CEO Katherine Collinson said. “However, if you suffer a major shock, such as having to pay large out-of-pocket long-term medical expenses, your savings can be wiped out quickly.”

Transamerica’s report found that nearly 50% of retirees say they would rely on family or friends for long-term care rather than paying a professional caregiver.

The Center for Retirement Research maintains the National Retirement Risk Index, which estimates the number of workers at risk of not maintaining their standard of living after retirement.

In recent years, the risk index has ranged from approximately 40% to 50%. Currently, that rate is 39%, meaning that around two in five workers are likely to do less well in retirement.

For retirees, financial security can be fragile.

Collectively, research on retirement suggests that while most retirees are making ends meet, their financial security may be fragile.

Of course, the same is true for millions of young Americans. According to a recent study by Bankrate, only 47% of Americans have enough cash on hand to cover $1,000 in case of an emergency.

AEI’s Biggs said retirees are more financially stable than younger Americans, as evidenced by survey responses.

For example, in the Household Economics and Decision-Making Survey, the proportion of Americans who say they are worse off financially decreases with age, from about 32% of those aged 35 to 44 to 12% of those aged 75 and older.

“Only a small percentage of older adults say they have a truly difficult life, and that percentage is smaller than those who are working,” Biggs said.

How much money do you really need to retire comfortably?

If most of us didn’t need $1 million in the bank to retire comfortably, how much would we need?

According to Biggs and other experts, the answer depends on many factors, starting with how much you earned while working.

The median household income in the United States is about $84,000, according to federal data. Even if you put 10 times that amount in the bank, you still wouldn’t have $1 million.

Retirement experts say that low-income households may not need as much income to maintain their standard of living, and that “the magic number of seven figures for retirement is more appropriate for high-income earners.”

Most Americans rely primarily on Social Security for their retirement income. These benefits are progressive. The lower your income, the more income you’ll get back in your Social Security check. And that percentage affects how much you need to save to make up the benefits.

Social Security “replaces” 90% of your income up to $1,286 per month. The replacement rate drops to 32% for incomes between $1,286 and $7,749, and to 15% for incomes above $7,749.

In other words, low-income households “shouldn’t be saving as much for retirement,” Biggs said. “And they’re not saving as much for retirement.”

Generation Alpha children influence their parents’ household spending

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Generation Alpha children influence their parents’ household spending

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The youngest consumers are establishing themselves, so take note.

Generation Alpha, or children up to age 16, are becoming influential purchasing brokers in the shopping economy, and their parents are listening, according to two studies.

New research from DKC, a communications and marketing firm that advises brands, reveals that children and teens aged 8 to 15 have direct control over $95 billion and influence broader household spending.

In a survey of 1,000 parents of Generation Alpha children, 90% said their children’s preferences changed their spending behavior, and 41% said all household spending decisions were influenced by their Generation Alpha children.

“This gateway generation is increasingly becoming responsible for household spending for their families,” DKC CEO Matthew Traub told USA TODAY.

Generation Alpha children have grown up with AI

The study found that Gen Alpha children’s spending comes from allowances for doing chores (78%), payments for good grades (67%), and their own side jobs like mowing lawns or babysitting (57%). Some (14%) get paid to sell or resell products online.

DKC surveyed parents of Generation Alpha children between the ages of 8 and 15.

This generation is the first to grow up with AI and other digital tools at their disposal, and these tools are helping them shop and, in some cases, start their own businesses, Traub said.

“This has given them the opportunity to become entrepreneurs at a very early age,” he said.

Traub said the seamlessness and ease of digital transactions and the ease with which children can use their parents’ digital payment methods also make purchasing easier for this generation.

Easy to generate online

Ari Furman, U.S. consumer markets industry leader at professional services firm PwC, said Generation Alpha children have become “incredibly adept at navigating online marketplaces” during the coronavirus pandemic because they grew up with screens preloaded with payment methods.

“Many of them learned to swipe before they wrote and learned to negotiate before they drove,” Fuhrman told USA TODAY.

PwC surveyed 1,000 children aged 7 to 14 and their parents and found that 97% of Generation Alpha children said they sometimes buy things for themselves.

Other options are available for kids to have their own digital payment accounts, including Apple Cash, Greenlight, teen checking accounts, and Cash App. Retailers like Amazon offer child accounts with independent spending limits and parental approval options.

52% of Gen Alpha survey respondents added items to a shared cart for their parents to see.

“It’s like a modern-day version of ‘Can I have this?'” Furman said of adding items to an online shopping cart.

Kendall Beierlein, 14, of West Islip, New York, fills up her online shopping cart and signals her mother, Kylie, to buy something.

“She’s loading the cart,” Kylie told USA TODAY.

Kendall added: “I tell her about it and ask her permission before I buy it.”

Kylie said Kendall is very disciplined and doesn’t ask for much, so Kylie usually buys what’s in the cart. Kendall said she typically buys clothes online when the seasons change or when she grows larger than her previous size.

Kylie agreed with research that parents’ shopping decisions are influenced by their children, and said that although she doesn’t use social media much, she knows Kendall and her friends are looking at what they want and reviews online.

In the PwC report, 61% of Gen Alpha respondents said they were influenced by social media when making a purchase, and 56% cited peer influence.

shopping: Gen Z is making shopping malls cool again

What impact does Gen Alpha have?

The influence that Generation Alpha has on their parents spans a wide range of categories.

52% of parents who participated in the DKC survey said they were more likely to try new or different foods, and 30% of parents, including 43% of mothers, said they were more likely to try a new beauty product suggested by their child. 38% of parents said they were likely to travel to a new vacation destination, and 33% of parents, including 47% of fathers, said they were likely to watch a new or different sport.

But Gen Alpha kids aren’t just influencing what their parents buy. They influence what they don’t buy.

Almost half (47%) of parents surveyed said they would avoid brands their children dislike.

Gen Alpha children “make more value judgments about brands than previous generations,” Traub said. “They value not only the brands they like, but also the brands they don’t like.”

How is this generation different?

Children and teens are constantly begging their parents to buy things for them. What makes Gen Alpha more successful?

“The biggest change we’re looking at is being very digital and transaction-oriented,” Traub said. “Parents say their Alpha generation kids are making them pay more attention to Chat GPT and other AI tools.” They are also making more purchases online and are more likely to use social media to research product reviews.

Generation Alpha children are much more familiar with AI than previous generations, including using AI to search, find and buy brands and products online, making them different from previous generations of children who often ask their parents to buy them something, Fuhrman said.

“Parents have the credit cards, but the kids are the ones who shape the cards,” she says.

“Kids have been nagging their parents for what they want, but I think this generation is particularly adept at strategic negotiation and using other means of persuading parents that frankly didn’t exist before,” Fuhrman said.

“In some ways, online carts are becoming the new family group chat,” she said.

And as these young consumers become more adept at shopping and able to influence their parents, Furman said, “We believe many of these children will have 10 years of experience earning, negotiating, and allocating capital by the time they reach adulthood. They will enter the workforce not as employees, but as managers.”

Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA TODAY. Contact her at blinfisher@USATODAY.com or follow her at @blinfisher on X, Facebook and Instagram and @blinfisher.bsky.social on Bluesky.. Sign up for our free The Daily Money newsletter, breaking down complex consumer and financial news. Subscribe here.

Trump is expected to become the second president to reach age 80

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Trump is expected to become the second president to reach age 80

Trump has frequently questioned Joe Biden’s suitability. Now, as he prepares to become the second president after Biden to reach age 80, he faces questions about his health and fitness.

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President Donald Trump wanted everyone to know he wasn’t falling asleep on the job.

During a long cabinet meeting in December, the president closed his eyes and appeared to be dozing off, prompting an explanation to be sought at the next cabinet meeting. He told them that he had closed his eyes during the last meeting because he was “bored.”

“I didn’t sleep. I just closed it because I wanted to get out of here,” Trump said, adding, “I don’t sleep much.”

Trump, who derided his predecessor with the nickname “Sleepy Joe,” has faced increasing questions about his fitness as his second term progresses, sparking a strong backlash from the president and his allies.

But the spotlight on Trump’s health is likely to intensify as he prepares to join an exclusive club of White House occupants in their 80s created by the president, whom he often derides.

Mr. Trump, who was elected as the oldest president in history on June 14, will be the second person to take office at age 80, following Joe Biden, who withdrew from the 2024 campaign due to concerns about his age and mental acuity after coming under pressure from his own party leaders not to seek re-election.

Mr. Biden has sparked a national debate about aging and leadership, fueled by Mr. Trump’s persistent questioning of his opponent’s mental capacity. President Trump is currently celebrating a major birthday milestone, and his health is under intense scrutiny. That includes questions about swollen legs, bruised hands, and perceived drowsiness, not to mention behaviors that most Americans consider erratic, as polls show.

Mr. Trump is trying to negotiate an end to the Iran war and make other important decisions at a time when many are slowing down. He regularly boasted that he had “passed” cognitive tests and sought to assure the public that he was up to the task, saying after a medical exam last month that “everything checked out perfectly.” He continues to tout his vigor, which is central to his political advocacy.

“Most people don’t welcome frailty, but I think he’s very sensitive to frailty and wants to distance himself from any signs of frailty,” said Gwenda Blair, Trump’s biographer.

whether he wants attention, Surveys show that most Americans are concerned about the suitability of the president.

“80 years is not what it was before.”

An April Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos poll found that 55% of U.S. adults do not believe President Trump is “in good physical health to effectively serve as president,” up from 28% in 2023. Nearly six in 10 also believe the president does not have the “mental acuity” necessary for the job.

Amid growing public concern, the president’s doctor said he was “perfectly qualified” to serve as president, and White House press secretary Davis Ingle said his energy was “unparalleled.”

“President Trump is the sharpest and most approachable president in American history, working tirelessly to solve problems and deliver on his promises, and is in excellent health,” Ingle said.

It’s not surprising that someone Trump’s age would face health problems. The president has surpassed – By 3 and a half years – Average life expectancy of American men.

But around half of men now live into their 80s, and the wealthier and better educated tend to live longer, Steven Austad said., He is a professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and an expert on aging. Trump was a billionaire with an Ivy League degree, and his father lived to be 93.

“Eighty is not what it used to be,” Austad said, adding, “The question is, what kind of 80 are you?”

Mr. Trump has long sought to project a strength that Mr. Blair described as “ultimate masculinity,” and the president’s allies insist he still has plenty of energy. They point to his busy schedule, which includes public events, travel, late-night posts on truth social sites, and regular interactions with the media.

“Most people at a fraction of his age would die to do what he did,” said Sean Spicer, who served as White House press secretary during President Trump’s first term. “I mean, I’m in my 50s, but in a way I’m excited about the fact that I’m in bed hours before he stops telling the truth.”

White House officials say that even though turning 90 is a significant milestone in his life, Trump does not tend to reflect on it, and the president does not talk about his birthday. Former Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said this has always been the case.

“From the time I’ve known him, he doesn’t really like to celebrate when it comes to birthdays,” McCarthy said, adding, “That’s his style.”

This year, President Trump will hold an Ultimate Fighting Championship contest at the White House on his birthday, but White House officials said it was just a matter of good timing for the event and was not conceived as a birthday celebration.

biographer Blair, He said he believes it makes sense to use force on a day when President Trump’s advanced age is in the spotlight, saying it would demonstrate “total strength.”

Trump has long criticized what he sees as Biden’s weaknesses. As Biden occupies the Oval Office in his 80s, concerns about how his age has affected him could lead to increased scrutiny of Trump. But McCarthy said the two cannot be compared.

“There’s a fundamental difference, and it’s different in many ways,” McCarthy said, adding, “I think you could put Mr. Trump up against any president in the history of our country, and I still believe he’s better than them.” In his case, age is not the deciding factor. ”

Swollen legs, bruised hands, eyes closed

But questions about Trump’s health have mounted in President Trump’s second term.

The president was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency last year. The disease is a benign condition that causes swelling in the lower extremities, and White House doctors said it is common in people over 70.

Trump has also experienced bruises on his hands, which doctors attribute to a combination of aspirin (an anti-inflammatory drug and blood thinner commonly taken) and regular shaking hands.

Additionally, the president’s stamina has come under scrutiny because he sometimes stretches with his eyes closed while others speak in public..

“Donald Trump’s inability to stay awake at work indicates that there is something very wrong with his health and cognitive abilities,” Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) said during a June 3 Congressional hearing questioning Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the December Cabinet meeting.

“I never saw him fall asleep,” Rubio said. On the other hand, that person doesn’t sleep.

Trump is clinically obese, according to recent body measurements. The president disparages any exercise other than golf as “boring,” joking: “At most one minute a day. If I’m lucky.” Meanwhile, Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the president was eating “really bad food,” noting that he was consuming McDonald’s, candy and Diet Coke.

“He has the constitution of God. I don’t know how he’s alive, but he’s alive,” Kennedy said in a podcast interview.

President Trump’s doctor recommended exercise and weight loss. But overall, the president’s “cognitive and physical abilities are excellent” and he is in “sufficient health to carry out all the duties of commander-in-chief and head of state,” White House physician Col. Sean Barbavera wrote summarizing the results of last month’s medical exam.

President Trump has undergone four medical exams in 13 months, raising questions about how often he visits, the types of tests performed and what doctors are looking for.

“There’s a reason why he continues to go to the hospital and undergo cognitive testing,” Liu said at the June 3 hearing.

Mehmet Oz, the doctor who oversees the Medicare and Medicaid programs, told reporters on June 2 that President Trump continues to receive medical exams because he “likes the results.”

“I actually believe he wants to make sure everything is going in the right direction,” Oz said. “He is a very methodical person.”

Oz held up a copy of a doctor’s report summarizing President Trump’s recent medical exam, calling the results “excellent.”

“That amount of energy, that amount of mental acuity, doesn’t exist in a vacuum,” Oz added. “You need a ship to carry it, but the president has the unique ability to keep moving forward with incredible strength at any time of the day.”

Is Trump more insane?

One of the biggest concerns as the population ages is the possibility of a decline in decision-making ability, aging expert Austad said.

“The conventional wisdom is that…aging brings wisdom, but after a certain point that’s no longer true,” he says. “That’s why scammers target the elderly.”

A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 61% of Americans believe the president has become “less stable with age,” and only 45% believe he is “mentally alert and able to meet challenges.”

Some of President Trump’s recent statements have caused bipartisan alarm, most notably his threat to destroy the entire “civilization” of Iran while pressuring the regime in Tehran to comply with his demands.

“Tonight an entire civilization will perish and never return,” the president posted on social media in April, just before announcing the cease-fire.

Democrats then introduced a bill that would create a commission to evaluate President Trump’s fitness to serve as president and recommend whether to invoke the 25th Amendment. Some members of the MAGA media have suggested using the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, which provides procedures for removing the president from office.

“We stand on a dangerous precipice, and it is now a national security issue for Congress to protect the American people from an increasingly volatile and volatile situation,” Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said in a statement about the bill.

In addition to President Trump’s comments about Iran, Raskin also addressed the president’s feud with the Pope and the fact that he posted an image of himself online that looked like Christ. President Trump’s late-night social media posts have drawn attention for containing AI-generated images, ranging from bizarre to highly controversial.

A Christ-like image posted by President Trump and a video depicting President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama as monkeys were both deleted after receiving backlash. While these posts raise questions about President Trump’s judgment, his round-the-clock social media use is also cited as a sign of his tirelessness.

Partisan views on health

Republican pollster Whit Ayers said polling results on President Trump’s health and mental state are colored by people’s partisan views of the president.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 89% of Democrats think President Trump has become less stable as he ages, compared to just 30% of Republicans who say the same.

“The answer to that question reflects more about how people feel about Donald Trump than it does about how they feel about age,” Ayers said.

Doctors’ reports about Trump’s health may not upset many people. Aging expert Austad, He said the presidential administration has long hidden negative health information from the public and suspects “no one believes it.”

However, people can draw their own conclusions.

“We get to see him a lot, we get to hear his voice a lot, and I think people can judge for themselves to some extent,” Austad said.

No matter what people think about Trump’s health and fitness, Austad said there are risks to having a president in his 80s. An 80-year-old person may be highly functional, but is likely to go downhill quickly, potentially leading to poor judgment, he said.

Austad said the country, which has had two consecutive presidents in their 80s, may be ripe for a “national discussion” about presidential age limits when Trump leaves office.

“I’m very much against ageism, but I’m also a realist,” he says. “No matter what you think about Trump’s record in office so far, it could be very different in a month.”

Princess Kate reveals her children argued in the car

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Princess Kate reveals her children argued in the car

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Like any busy mother, the Princess of Wales can’t help but listen to her children argue, especially over their musical tastes.

During a visit to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust on June 4, Duchess Kate described how difficult it was to get Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to agree on the soundtrack for their morning commute, saying: “Everyone wants different things.”

“We’ll do this in the morning school run. Everyone wants a different song,” the princess said. “Charlotte wants Taylor Swift and George wants rock music. He loves AC/DC…he plays guitar. And Louis wants Alex Warren.”

“Everyone wants different things,” she added.

According to People magazine, all three royal children will be attending Windsor’s prestigious Lambruck School from 2022, with Prince George expected to graduate from the prep school when he turns 13 later this summer.

Prince of Wales presents Taylor Swift’s wedding invitation

Appearing on British radio show Heart Breakfast on May 22, the Prince of Wales said he was “hopeful” that he would be invited to Taylor Swift’s wedding.

“No comment,” Prince William joked with a laugh. “You’re right, I’ll be careful. That feels like a showbiz excuse, but it’s not.”

“I’m hopeful and I’m sure there may be an invitation, but we’ll see,” he added.

Prince William’s hospitalization comes almost two years after he and Princess Charlotte were spotted dancing to Swift’s “Shake It Off” on the opening night of his Elas tour in London, an experience he remembers fondly.

“Charlotte, my daughter and Louis, to be fair, Charlotte is particularly into Taylor Swift and we went to see her on her Ellas tour and it was amazing,” he said. “It was Wembley, so we had a box, so we were watching from above, quite a distance from where the actual action was happening. The atmosphere was so great. You could actually feel the floor shaking when everyone was dancing. It was just amazing.”

After watching the show from their box seats at Wembley Stadium, Prince William, Prince George and Princess Charlotte headed backstage to spend some one-on-one time with the ‘All Too Well’ singer and then-fiancé Travis Kelsey.

Fan injured at WVU baseball game as bad weather causes havoc

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Fan injured at WVU baseball game as bad weather causes havoc

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Multiple West Virginia baseball fans were injured during Saturday’s Morgantown Super Regional game between the Mountaineers and Cal Poly.

A West Virginia Athletics spokesperson confirmed to USA TODAY Sports on Saturday that high winds blew over an event tent in the parking lot adjacent to Wagner Field at Kendrick Family Ballpark in Morgantown, West Virginia, injuring several fans due to weather delays.

“WVU would like to thank the first responders of EMS, police and fire who immediately secured the scene and treated the injured spectators. It was a great day for Mountaineer baseball, and Mountaineer Nation’s thoughts are all with those involved,” the statement read.

Who will play in the College World Series? NCAA Baseball Tournament Bracket, Schedule

Saturday’s game between the Mountaineers and Mustangs was postponed more than an hour and a half into the eighth inning due to weather in the area, including thunderstorms and lightning. Five people were taken to local hospitals for treatment, the statement said.

“Through University Police, we can confirm that five people were transported for treatment. We are in contact with local health care providers to ensure those affected are supported in their recovery,” the statement said.

West Virginia athletic director Len Baker asked for prayers for the injured fan in a post on X.

On the field, 16th-ranked West Virginia defeated the University of California 17-1, completing a dominant victory in the Morgantown Super Regional and advancing to the program’s first College World Series. The Mountaineers scored seven runs in the second inning with back-to-back home runs by Ben Ramsden and Tyrus Hall.

West Virginia University is scheduled to begin play in the College World Series against Troy on Friday, June 12th or Saturday, June 13th. The NCAA has not announced the official start time and date for CWS.

Get to the heart of the news quickly with the USA TODAY app. Download award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, e-newspapers, and more.

Police say multiple people were shot near festival in Ohio

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Police say multiple people were shot near festival in Ohio

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Twelve people were struck by gunfire, two seriously, in a shooting near a popular neighborhood festival in Toledo, Ohio, on Saturday, June 6, city officials announced at a press conference.

Toledo Police Department officers responded at approximately 5:37 p.m. ET to reports of a shooting in the area of ​​Delaware Avenue and Glenwood Avenue, near the annual Old West End Festival, the department said.

Police believe the incident occurred when at least two people began firing at each other at the festival. No deaths were reported as of late Saturday, police said.

The department said investigators are actively searching for the suspect involved in the shooting. Authorities are asking people who attended the festival to share any photos or videos they have.

Officials said police were on the scene at the time of the shooting, heard gunshots, and had a large police presence, including off-duty officers working for the festival.

When officers arrived, they found multiple people suffering from gunshot wounds. Police said several victims were taken to area hospitals for treatment.

“It was excessive in terms of violence,” said Lt. Dan Gerken of the Toledo Police Department.

The shooting occurred near the Old West End Festival. The Old West End Festival is a long-running community event that draws thousands of visitors each year to one of Toledo’s most historic neighborhoods.

“It’s really unfortunate that some people, for whatever reason that may have crossed their minds, decided to interrupt an event that has been a beloved community event for years and years,” said Sgt. Mohammad Ali Nasser is a public information officer for the Toledo Police Department.

Police said the investigation spanned multiple locations, including areas near Delaware Avenue and Robinwood Avenue. Residents and festival-goers were urged to avoid the area and to expect a heavy law enforcement presence as officers continued to search and investigators determined the cause of the shooting.

USA TODAY has contacted the Toledo Police Department for additional information.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said in a social media post that he was “deeply concerned” about the Toledo shooting.

“Summer festivals should be a safe place for families to come together without fear of violence,” DeWine said on the X-Post. He said the family is praying for the victim and added that he is confident “law enforcement will find the suspects involved in this senseless crime.”

This story is developing and will be updated with new information.

Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com.

Saturday, June 6th Powerball Jackpot $212 Million: Winning Numbers

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Saturday, June 6th Powerball Jackpot $212 Million: Winning Numbers

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The Powerball jackpot has risen to $212 million, including a $94.5 million cash option, ahead of the drawing on Saturday, June 6th.

The jackpot hasn’t been won in more than a month since May 2, when the $20 million prize was split between Texas and Florida tickets. Drawings take place three times a week, and prizes continue to grow until someone matches all six numbers.

Since its launch in 1992, the Powerball jackpot has been hit more than 400 times. Indiana, Missouri, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin rank among the states with the most winning jackpot tickets.

Here’s what you need to know about Saturday night’s Powerball drawing.

more: Which Powerball number should you choose?

How to play Powerball

Powerball tickets cost $2 and are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Tickets can be purchased at authorized retailers such as convenience stores, gas stations, and grocery stores. In some states, players can also purchase tickets online.

To play, select 6 numbers. There are five white balls ranging from 1 to 69 and one red Powerball ranging from 1 to 26. Players can also select the “Quick Pick” option, which randomly selects numbers.

For an additional $1, players can add a “power play” option that doubles, triples, quadruples, 5x or 10x their non-jackpot winnings.

To win the jackpot, your ticket must match all five white balls and the Powerball in any order.

What are the winning Powerball numbers for June 6th?

USA TODAY will publish the winning numbers at 10:59 p.m. ET after the lottery drawing.

Top 10 Powerball Jackpots

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Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact us at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow us at X @fern_cerv_.

Canada bans Texas livestock due to spread of flesh-eating parasites

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Canada bans Texas livestock due to spread of flesh-eating parasites

A spokesperson for Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Canada was overreacting to the temporary restrictions. Mr Abbott previously declared a state of disaster against the parasite.

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Canada has placed a temporary ban on livestock in Texas due to the continuing spread of the New World screwworm, officials announced June 5.

U.S. officials recently confirmed that it has been decades since the meat-eating parasite was eradicated from the country. This parasitic disease, spread through screwworm flies, poses a serious risk to Texas’ $15.5 billion livestock industry.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced it is temporarily suspending imports of livestock, including horses, from Texas. The restriction applies to animals originating from or present in Texas within 21 days before attempting to enter Canada, according to a June 5 agency news release. The New World screwworm fly is currently not in Canada.

“We will continue to work closely with our U.S. authorities to assess developments and adjust our response as necessary,” the Canadian government agency said in a statement.

Where was the New World screwworm detected?

On June 3, the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the presence of screwworm larvae in the navel of a 3-week-old calf in southern Texas, the first case in the country after the infection spread from Mexico. On June 5, USDA confirmed a second case in a 1-month-old calf 9.0 miles away.

The New World screwworm fly is about the size of a housefly and lays eggs in open wounds and body openings such as the eyes, nose, and mouth of warm-blooded animals. Once hatched, the larvae burrow into the animal’s flesh, feeding on living tissue and creating painful, foul-smelling wounds.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, secondary infections and other illnesses can cause serious and often fatal harm. As the screwworm grows, it burrows into the soil and emerges as a mature fly to begin the process again.

Canada has already banned most livestock imports from Mexico to prevent the spread of screwworm into the country. In July, U.S. authorities closed the southern ports of entry with Mexico to livestock trade.

The United States is Canada’s largest importer of agricultural products, supplying more than $3 billion in live animals and other animal products in 2024, according to USDA data. Texas is the largest producer of beef and cattle in the United States, but the data does not specify how much Texas supplies to Canada.

‘Overreaction’ by Canada, Texas says. Governor declares state of disaster

On June 5, Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster, citing an “imminent threat” from screwworms.

Mr. Abbott’s spokesman, Andrew Mahallis, said Canada was overreacting as the state of Texas and the Department of Agriculture worked quickly to contain and eradicate the wartworm in a limited area of ​​south Texas.

“This pest affects live animals and does not affect Texas beef that has been tested,” Mahalelis said in a statement to USA TODAY on June 6. “Canada’s widespread restrictions on livestock in Texas are more of a political overreaction than based on science.”

Many states in the southern United States are at risk of infestation due to warm, humid temperatures that favor the screwworm, but Canadian officials said the parasite cannot survive in Canada’s cold climate. However, the length of time that screwworm flies can survive in the Canadian summer is shortened.

Screw maggots are endemic to South America and the Caribbean.

The United States eradicated the New World screwworm in 1966, and North America eradicated the New World screwworm by the 2000s. However, the fly’s habitat is thought to be expanding due to rising temperatures and changes in weather due to climate change.

U.S. authorities are working to expand the use of sterile male screw flies to stem the spread of the parasite. Authorities are using radiation to sterilize male flies and releasing them into areas where screwworms live. Female screwworm flies usually mate only once, after which they lay infertile eggs and gradually reduce their population.

Responsibility for response

The Trump administration is facing growing criticism over Elon Musk’s Office of Efficiency’s cuts to a U.S. Agency for International Development program that monitors and prevents the spread of the New World screwworm in Central America, according to an agricultural trade publication. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller told NBC that the USDA is moving too slowly and relying only on partial solutions that will take years.

In response to emailed questions, the Department of Agriculture denied that budget cuts caused the infestation of screw maggots into the country. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins accused the Biden administration, which left office about a year and a half ago, of allowing the parasite to spread through past immigration and border policies.

Instead, the Department of Agriculture is investing in the production and release of sterile flies, she said.

Contributor: Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY

Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Contact him via email: emcuevas1@usatoday.com Or with Signal on emcuevas.01.

States obtain injunctions against President Trump’s SNAP funding rules

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States obtain injunctions against President Trump’s SNAP funding rules

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A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from imposing new conditions on billions of dollars in federal nutrition funding, siding with a coalition of Democratic-led states that argued the requirements threatened programs serving low-income families.

U.S. District Judge Myung Jun granted a preliminary injunction sought by 20 states and the District of Columbia, temporarily halting the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s efforts to link funding to compliance with various federal policy priorities, the Associated Press, Newsweek and Reuters reported.

This onerous requirement applies to USDA grants and programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps about 39 million Americans buy groceries. The states argued that the new conditions could jeopardize funding already approved by Congress and disrupt critical food assistance programs while the lawsuits proceed.

Jaune, sitting in a federal courtroom in Boston, said he would issue a written memorandum explaining his decision at a later date.

States claim USDA exceeded its authority

The lawsuit, filed in March by a coalition of Democratic attorneys general, challenged a Department of Agriculture directive that required states to certify compliance with various federal “policies” in order to continue receiving funding.

The terms at issue included provisions regarding immigration, “gender ideology” and “equal athletic opportunities” for women and girls, according to court filings. States argued that the requirements were vague, unrelated to nutrition or agriculture programs, and imposed without due legal process.

The states argued in their complaint that the USDA is creating “unconstitutional and unlawful barriers” between federally authorized programs and the states that administer them, threatening nutrition assistance, agricultural research and food supply systems.

Plaintiffs include Washington, D.C., as well as Massachusetts, California, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, Washington, Oregon, Colorado and several other Democratic-led states.

Administration defends surveillance measures

Government lawyers opposed the injunction, arguing that the terms were intended to increase federal oversight of taxpayer-funded programs.

In a court filing, administrative lawyers said the requirement promotes responsible management of federal funds, improves USDA oversight and ensures recipients comply with federal laws, regulations and policies.

The Trump administration also argues that if states must follow federal antidiscrimination laws to receive federal funds, other federal policies should be treated similarly.

Funding battles have far-reaching implications

This incident extends beyond SNAP. The complaint says the conditions could also affect the school lunch program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, known as WIC.

In total, states receive more than $74 billion annually through the USDA program, according to court filings.

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell praised the ruling on social media, calling the USDA grant a “lifeline” for families. New York Attorney General Letitia James also welcomed the decision, saying her office will continue to fight to protect federal funds while the lawsuit progresses.

Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com or X @athompsonUSAT.

Simone Biles reveals health concerns in Instagram post

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Simone Biles reveals health concerns in Instagram post

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Simone Biles said she has recently had some frightening health conditions and is now recovering.

The gymnastics superstar shared the news that she “almost died” with her fans on Saturday, June 6, by posting a photo of her arm with three hospital wristbands on her Instagram Stories.

Biles wrote on the photo, “I’m not someone who would normally share things like this because I value my privacy in this day and age.” “But almost dying wasn’t on my bingo card earlier this week.”

The seven-time Olympic gold medalist explained that her husband, NFL safety Jonathan Owens, was in training camp with his new team, the Indianapolis Colts, when the incident occurred.

Biles and Owens live in a custom-built home in Spring, Texas. The gymnast is from a town outside of Houston. Owens played for the Houston Texans from 2019 to 2022 before spending time with the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears.

“This was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life, especially since Jonathan went to Indy to practice,” she said.

She went on to say that she is “resting in bed this week,” adding that she will “explain sooner or later” what happened.

She also posted a photo of herself lying in bed with her two dogs and said, “I’m here.”

Biles won four medals, including three gold, at the 2024 Paris Olympics. It was a spectacular comeback after she withdrew from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after experiencing “twisties” (a term used in gymnastics to describe the loss of one’s sense of direction during a performance). Since then, she has become active in raising awareness about mental health.

Republican candidate Vic Mellor visits Cuba to meet Castro’s grandson Laurito

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Republican candidate Vic Mellor visits Cuba to meet Castro’s grandson Laurito

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  • Vic Mellor, a Republican candidate for the Rhode Island House of Representatives, is the self-appointed special envoy to Cuba.
  • Mellor met with Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, the grandson of former Cuban leader Raul Castro.
  • The State Department acknowledged that Mellor was not authorized to represent the U.S. government.

Vic Mellor has positioned himself first as a leading Republican congressional candidate in Rhode Island, but now he’s added a new title: self-appointed special envoy to Cuba.

On the morning of June 6, Mr. Mellor was returning to Boston Logan Airport for a return visit to Havana, at a time when the United States was tightening the economic strings to prevent change in Cuba’s government and the country faced a deepening humanitarian disaster.

Mellor made a surprise visit to Havana in late May to deliver humanitarian aid and had two long dinners with newly indicted Raúl Castro’s grandson and top political adviser, Raúl “Laurito” Guillermo Rodríguez Castro. Mellor, an entrepreneur, is seeking to unseat incumbent Congressman Seth Magaziner, a Rhode Island Democrat.

A State Department spokeswoman said Mellor “has no authority to speak on behalf of the U.S. government and has no involvement in administration activities.”

Mellor, who served as chief of staff to Gen. Mike Flynn under President Donald Trump, stressed that he was traveling at the urging of businessmen and investors who recently founded the National Cuban-American Chamber of Commerce in Miami. The organization’s goal, made up mostly of business leaders and investors, is political change and civilian reconstruction in Cuba. Mellor said he had not spoken to the State Department, White House or other foreign policy officials regarding the trip.

Mellor, 57, told USA TODAY on June 6, “I’m not going to talk behind his back or get around Marco Rubio.” “(Rubio) has done a great job. The conversation is not a betrayal. We have an open dialogue. I don’t see how you could hurt someone.”

Mellor knows that his visit with the Castro government touched sensitive nerves among those who want the country to transition away from family rule.

Mellor said they had two hours-long meetings in late May. Rodriguez Castro, the influential 41-year-old known as “El Cangrejo” the crab, shared his vision for the future. The latest round of designations, announced by the Treasury Department on June 4, sanctioned various members of the Castro family.

“He is confident. He wants the Cuban people to prosper,” Mellor said. “He kept saying this is an update, Cuba needs to update its policies.”

Mellor said Rodríguez Castro acknowledged that he had spoken to Rubio twice in recent months and met once with CIA Director John Ratcliffe. One of the face-to-face meetings with Mr. Rubio took place on St. Kitts Island in early March.

Throughout the campaign, Mellor has defended his background as a Marine Corps veteran, his ties to Flynn, and his participation in the violent pro-Trump protests on January 6, 2021. He said he believes both the United States and Cuba want to prosper. He admitted that he has no experience in diplomacy and has not negotiated. He said he felt like he was watching history unfold on this island.

Contributor: Francesca Chambers

Missing student James ‘Weston’ Higginbotham found dead, mother says

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Missing student James ‘Weston’ Higginbotham found dead, mother says

An Alabama student who went missing while on a trip to Japan with his family has been found dead in a “mountainous area on the outskirts of Kyoto,” his mother announced.

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An Alabama student who went missing in Japan while traveling with his family has been found dead, his mother announced in a social media post on Saturday, June 6th. It had been over a week since I last saw her.

James “Weston” Higginbotham was found by a volunteer search and rescue team in a mountainous area outside Kyoto, Japan, said his mother, Nancy Higginbotham.

“Words cannot express the sadness we are feeling,” she said. “We are forever grateful for the time we spent with our sweet and precious Weston, but we cannot understand what life would be like without him.”

The 20-year-old Auburn University student was last seen on May 29 while on a family trip to celebrate her brother’s high school graduation, Nancy Higginbotham previously told USA TODAY. The family was scheduled to leave Japan on June 4, but extended their trip after Higginbotham went missing.

Local police dispatched helicopters and volunteer search teams to the hilly area, and a search operation began. Nancy Higginbotham previously said her son may have been suffering mentally and was an “experienced hiker”.

Nancy Higginbotham said, “We are deeply grateful to the countless people in the United States, Japan, and around the world who shared Weston’s story, prayed for his family, offered encouragement, and helped with the search efforts. The outpouring of kindness and support helped us get through the darkest days of our lives.”

What happened in the Auburn student disappearance case?

Higginbotham was last seen with his family at around 6:30pm local time on May 29, after they had eaten at a restaurant shortly after arriving in Kyoto. The two had been traveling together for six days at that point and decided to have some space, Nancy Higginbotham told USA TODAY.

She said he may have been traumatized by the long trip and arguments. Ms Higginbotham stayed at her family’s hotel while she went to see the temple with her husband and second son.

Previously: “A living hell.” Mother talks about Auburn student’s disappearance in Japan

Higginbotham’s mother said in a Facebook post that police determined that Higginbotham had taken a train to a station in the Yamashina area and lost cell phone signal around 8:30 p.m. that day. At that point, he reportedly headed for a hiking trail.

Local authorities are also participating in the search, and Alabama Representatives Mike Shaw and Susan DuBose said they are in contact with the Honorary Consul General of Japan in Birmingham, Alabama, who reports to the Japanese Consulate General in Atlanta. Nancy Higginbotham shared an update on the search on social media, saying the search involved very steep and rugged terrain.

Higginbotham’s cause of death had not been disclosed as of June 6th.

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Family of missing student in Japan asks for help in search

An Alabama student went missing while on a trip to Japan with his family and is now appealing to the public for clues as to where he went.

What happened today? This breaking news roundup makes a long story short.

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

Contributors: Saleen Martin and Anthony Thompson, USA TODAY

What May layoffs say about the labor market

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What May layoffs say about the labor market

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Major U.S. employers announced their smallest layoffs so far this year in May, following the strong payroll numbers announced by the government on June 5th.

USA TODAY tracked just 250 mass layoff notices in May, affecting 32,000 workers. This included Spirit Airlines’ 11 layoff filings reported in multiple states in May, affecting approximately 7,000 employees. The airline announced its closure in early May, suspending all flights.

Meanwhile, U.S. employers added 172,000 jobs in May, and the unemployment rate held steady at 4.3%, according to the latest numbers released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The agency also revised employment statistics for the previous month. Employment numbers increased in both March and April compared to the initial numbers.

Layoff records tracked through Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) applications collected by USA TODAY have shown a downward trend since January, when more than 400 notices totaled more than 40,000 layoffs. These filings represent announcements of job cuts by companies with at least 100 employees.

According to our tracking database, these companies announced nearly 2,000 layoffs in the first five months of this year, affecting more than 166,000 employees. This represents a decrease of approximately 13% in the number of reported layoffs compared to the same period last year.

“Right now, the labor market is precariously stable,” said Cory Stahl, senior economist at Indeed. “It’s stable in the sense that we’ve reached some kind of balance point, but it’s not clear whether that balance point is actually a tipping point.”

Stahle said the current “pretty good” job market is juxtaposed with underlying risks and uncertainties, including the ongoing war in Iran and rising energy and gas prices.

And disparities exist in today’s labor market, he said, with workers who are already employed and in growth sectors finding work relatively easily, while unemployed workers and workers outside of fast-growth industries struggle to find work.

The number of long-term unemployed Americans is increasing, even as the market sees faster-than-expected job growth, the latest federal statistics show.

Why do we collect alert notifications?

The WARN Act, passed in 1988, requires employers with 100 or more full-time workers to give at least 60 days’ notice before mass layoffs or plant closures. The law is intended to give workers time to start looking for new jobs in case they lose their jobs.

USA TODAY collects WARN applications from 43 state labor departments and the District of Columbia to track layoffs at major companies across the country. The database includes notices dating back to the 1990s and allows readers to search by state, company, and year.

Seven states, including Arkansas, Hawaii, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming, either do not provide public data access or have incompatible data formats.

WARN reporting systems vary by state, so reports may be filed weeks after layoffs are announced, and companies may amend or withdraw their notices. Therefore, the totals in the tracker can change as new records are updated.

Still, experts say WARN notices are a leading indicator of large-scale layoffs, providing an early estimate of the timing and size of layoffs that may not take effect for up to two months after they are announced.

more: When and where will the next mass layoffs occur? Use our tracker

“It’s more important than ever to pay attention to what’s going on with these warning notices,” Staehle said, because a significant increase in the number of layoffs could quickly offset the increase in employment.

California continues to lead the nation in the number of layoffs recorded in WARN filings, followed by Washington and Texas.

Pope Leo or Bad Bunny? Pope: “Many people would prefer the latter”

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Pope Leo or Bad Bunny? Pope: “Many people would prefer the latter”

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Pope Leo won’t be the only VIP in Spain this weekend, but he knows it all too well.

Speaking to reporters aboard the papal plane on June 6, Leo admitted he faces stiff competition from Bad Bunny as his apostolic journey coincides with various concerts at Madrid’s Riyadh Air Metropolitano.

“If they were faced with the question, ‘Do you want to see Bad Bunny or do you want to see the Pope?’ I think a lot of people would go see Bad Bunny,” Leo said. “But I think there will be some people who will come to see the Pope. That’s saying something, too.”

Saturday, June 6th’s performance is one of the few remaining concerts on the Puerto Rican artist’s Spanish tour, which officially ends on June 15th after 10 performances in the country’s capital.

Ahead of the trip, Cardinal José Cobo Cano, the Archbishop of Madrid, hinted that the “TURiSTA” singer might have some kind of meeting with Leo.

Leo also said he was “very happy” to hear reports of an increase in converts to Catholicism, especially among young people, according to CNN.

“Young people who want something more often have grown up without a spiritual dimension to their lives, so they find themselves feeling empty, lacking a sense of meaning,” he says.

Pope Leo says he will support the US at the World Cup

When asked which team he is rooting for in the World Cup, Leo admitted that he was rooting for the United States, and also revealed that he happened to be a supporter of the Real Madrid or Barcelona soccer teams.

“The Pope is for all teams, Prevost is for Real Madrid,” he told reporters, referring to himself by name, before the Pope was elected.

According to CNN, Leo will hold a meeting with young people during his visit at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, home of soccer club Real Madrid.

26 people arrested after MSG game party after Knicks win

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26 people arrested after MSG game party after Knicks win

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More than 20 people were arrested and a New York City Police Department officer was assaulted after a viewing party was held outside Madison Square Garden as thousands of fans celebrated Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs on Friday, June 5.

Authorities said a police officer was struck as he tried to stop a fan who refused to leave. The woman jumped over a barricade and ran into a restricted area.

Nearly 7,000 fans gathered in the world’s most famous arena to celebrate New York’s 105-104 victory, moving it two wins away from its first championship since 1973. However, authorities said 26 of them left the scene in handcuffs, 17 were arrested and charged, and the remaining nine were issued criminal court summonses for disorderly conduct and released.

more: The Knicks continue to win games and fans. New York City is going crazy right now.

Karelly Reyes, 29, was charged with assault, resisting arrest and obstructing public administration during an incident with a police officer.

Pat Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association, said in a statement: “Victory celebrations should not end with blood on the faces of police officers.” “My sister was working during the chaos after the Knicks’ Game 2 win, trying to keep everyone safe, when someone jumped over a fence and punched her in the face, leaving a bloody wound.”

Mr Hendry added: “This is completely unacceptable and cannot be tolerated.” “We will be in court to make sure this person faces the consequences he deserves.”

The New York City Police Department had sent more than 1,000 officers to MSG surveillance.

Game 3 will be held at Madison Square Garden on Monday, June 8th, and security will once again be on high alert as President Donald Trump is expected to be in attendance.

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