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A new study from iSeeCars.com takes a look at the states with the most and fewest luxury cars. iSeeCars researchers say luxury cars account for 17.7 percent of all vehicle sales in the United States. As you'd imagine, iSeeCars says buyers are drawn to luxury vehicles for reasons including extra features, enhanced driving performance, and advanced technology. Of course, there's also the prestige of having a luxury nameplate in the driveway. So which states have the most luxury cars on the roads? iSeeCars.com analyzed over 10.9 million car sales to find out.  New Jersey came in number one - in fact nine East Coast states are among the top 15 states with more luxury vehicles than average. The state with the lowest, Wyoming. Here's a look at the list from iSeeCars: Ranking of States by Share of Luxury Cars - iSeeCars Study Rank State % Share of Luxury Cars 1 New Jersey 27.9% 2 California 25.2% … [Read more...] about States With The Most And Fewest Luxury Cars

NEW YORK (AP) — Gas prices have fallen from the record highs they reached earlier this summer, but they're still much higher than a year ago. And with inflation driving up the cost of pretty much everything else, finding the funds to cover your commute may be increasingly tricky. “Being able to get to work is so essential to people’s basic survival that other things have to go first,” said Abbie Langston, director of equitable economy at PolicyLink, a national research institute. “When we see these massive increases in gas prices, it’s really hurting people.” Whether you drive, take the bus or ride the subway, here's what you need to know about how commuters are affected by the cost of living in the United States. HOW ARE GAS PRICES AFFECTING COMMUTERS? More than 76% of Americans commute by car. In June, they saw gas prices spike beyond $5 per gallon. While prices have dropped significantly since, the national average price of a gallon of regular unleaded was $3.99 on … [Read more...] about EXPLAINER: How is inflation affecting commuting costs?

(CNN) A benchmark measure of inflation slowed in July after surging in the previous month, offering a glimmer of hope that the painful inflation Americans are facing could moderate in the coming months. The Producer Price Index, which captures prices paid to producers for their goods and services, was 9.8% higher in July, compared with a year earlier. That's a slowdown from a sharp 11.3% year-over-year spike in June, according to data released Thursday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. On a monthly basis, wholesale prices fell by 0.5%, down from a revised 1% month-over-month increase in June. Largely attributed to a cooling-off of record-high energy prices, these lower numbers are generally seen as a sign of progress in the fight against inflation. However, economists warn that yet another double-digit inflation reading sends a strong signal that the economy is not out of the inflationary woods yet. Producer prices are generally more … [Read more...] about This key inflation measure fell, but remains painfully high

New York (CNNBusiness) As parents and teachers prepare for students to return to classrooms this fall, they're grappling with how much more the most basic school supplies will cost. From glue, markers, pens and tape to backpacks, sneakers, even underwear, price tags on these necessities have jumped over the last year as inflation makes all kinds of purchases costlier. Families may already be adjusting their household budgets to absorb higher prices, but when everything costs more, it adds up. "We look across millions of consumers in every economic level and income bracket and no one is immune from soaring inflation in their daily lives," said Brian Mandelbaum, CEO of Klover, a consumer data company in the personal finance and commerce space. "The most impacted are those households who are living paycheck to paycheck, on a very fixed budget ." Last year's backpack: Tapped out families are struggling to pay for back to school … [Read more...] about Cost of back-to-school essentials — glue, markers, pens, backpacks — has jumped

(CNN) Mortgage rates climbed above 5% again, after dipping below that threshold for the first time in months a week earlier. While the volatility in mortgage rates remains, there are signs that the housing market is starting to stabilize. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 5.22% in the week ending August 11, up from 4.99% the week before, according to Freddie Mac. That is significantly higher than this time last year when it was 2.87%. Rates rose sharply at the start of the year, hitting a year high of 5.81% in mid-June. But since then, concerns about the economy and the Federal Reserve's mission to combat inflation have made them more volatile. "Although rates continue to fluctuate, recent data suggest that the housing market is stabilizing as it transitions from the surge of activity during the pandemic to a more balanced market," said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac's chief economist. Earlier this week, the Consumer Price Index for July indicated … [Read more...] about Mortgage rates climb above 5% once again

(CNN Business) Meta's new chatbot can convincingly mimic how humans speak on the internet — for better and worse. In conversations with CNN Business this week, the chatbot, which was released publicly Friday and has been dubbed BlenderBot 3, said it identifies as "alive" and "human," watches anime and has an Asian wife. It also falsely claimed that Donald Trump is still president and there is "definitely a lot of evidence" that the election was stolen. If some of those responses weren't concerning enough for Facebook's parent company, users were quick to point out that the artificial intelligence-powered bot openly blasted Facebook . In one case, the chatbot reportedly said it had "deleted my account" over frustration with how Facebook handles user data. No, Google's AI is not sentient While there's potential value in developing chatbots for customer service and digital assistants, there's a long history of experimental bots quickly … [Read more...] about It didn’t take long for Meta’s new chatbot to say something offensive

Mark Wolfe is an energy economist and serves as the executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA), representing the state directors of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and the Energy Programs Consortium. He specializes in energy, climate, housing and related consumer finance issues. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. The Inflation Reduction Act , the Democrats' tax, climate and health care bill that the Senate just passed, sets the nation on a path to meet its climate goals, and provides a set of practical initiatives that will help lower-income Americans who have fewer resources than other households to invest in reducing their energy use and adapt to rising temperatures. It will provide tax credits and rebates designed to help them afford electric vehicles and home retrofits and reduce their use of fossil fuels. But helping low-income families transition to clean energy is not a substitute for … [Read more...] about Opinion: The Democrats’ sweeping economic package doesn’t go far enough for low-income families

(CNN) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday said he had raised "serious concerns" related to human rights as well as issues about regional tensions with the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo during a meeting with Rwandan President Paul Kagame in the capital Kigali. Speaking at a press conference with his Rwandan counterpart on Thursday, Blinken said he raised "serious concerns" about human rights during his earlier meeting with Kagame, including the case of Rwandan citizen and US permanent resident Paul Rusesabagina. "We believe people in every country should be able to express their views without fear of intimidation, imprisonment, violence or any other forms of repression," Blinken said at a press conference with Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta. "[We] underscored our concerns about the lack of fair trial guarantees provided to him," Blinken added, referring to Rusesabagina's case. US senator questions aid … [Read more...] about Blinken raised ‘serious concerns’ about human rights with Kagame in Rwanda

(CNN) Eight police officers were killed during violent anti-government protests in Sierra Leone on Wednesday, the country's youth minister told CNN on Thursday. The officers, six men and two women, were "brutalized" and killed in the area where the protests held on Wednesday, youth minister Mohamed Orman Bangura said. Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of the capital Freetown on Wednesday, protesting inflation and the rising cost of living in the West African country. The protests grew violent at times. Graphic images and video of battered and seriously injured protesters and some members of security forces could be seen on social media. Security forces were also seen firing guns at citizens. Bangura said he could not immediately confirm the number of civilians killed or injured in the violent demonstrations. Read More "We are yet to know how many people were injured, but I can confirm that eight police officers were killed." … [Read more...] about Eight police officers killed in Sierra Leone during anti-government protests, minister says

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 9 ROCK HILL, S.C. - The surface of a professional-grade cornhole board - two feet wide and four feet long, give or take a quarter-inch, and made of birch or oak with a polyurethane finish - can change texture with the temperature. On a hot day, even indoors, the clear varnish can get tacky, slowing bean bags down as they slide toward the 6-inch scoring hole. Near an air-conditioning vent, boards "play faster." Further away they get stickier. Which is why, here at last week's American Cornhole League world championships, held in a massive indoor sports facility in humid South Carolina, Corey Gilbert, 33, has opted for the "Sniper" set from his sponsor, Lucky Bags. It's a middle-of-the-spectrum, Goldilocks option - not the firmest or the floppiest, neither the silkiest nor the craggiest, but it will slide comfortably on the boards, which have been playing … [Read more...] about The world’s cornhole elite, chasing that one perfect toss