[Fox Business] Alaska Airlines passenger reunited with dog after airline ‘misstep’ loses pet during loading

An Alaska Airlines passenger and her dog were reunited Thursday after the pet was accidentally left off a flight from North Carolina to Seattle and later escaped the airport, the airline said.

The dog, named Moose, was supposed to have flown on a flight out of Raleigh-Durham International Airport with its owner on Tuesday night, but a “misstep in the loading process” left the dog off the plane, an airline spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

Moose stayed overnight at the airport with airline staff and was taken for a walk in the morning before his flight to Seattle. 

When staff tried to load Moose into a crate, the dog pulled away and shook off its collar before running away, the airline said.

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As an extensive search for the lost dog took place, Moose’s owner flew back to Raleigh on Wednesday afternoon to help.

On Thursday morning, the airport’s fire rescue team located Moose unharmed and brought the owner to the dog.

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“We’re happy to report this morning that the dog is now safely back with its pet parent,” the airline said. “The Airport’s fire rescue team picked up the owner, who had been searching in a different area, and brought her to Moose. She coaxed him to her and he is safe and sound.”

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K-9 officers at the airport fed Moose before he left with his owner.

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[Fox Business] This week’s personal loan rates edge up for 3- and 5-year loans

Borrowers with good credit seeking personal loans during the past seven days prequalified for rates that were lower for 3-year loans and higher for 5-year loans when compared to fixed-rate loans for the seven days before.

For borrowers with credit scores of 720 or higher who used the Credible marketplace to select a lender between March 21 and March 27:

Personal loans have become a popular way to consolidate debt and pay off credit card debt and other loans. They can also be used to cover unexpected and emergency expenses like medical bills, take care of a major purchase, or fund home improvement projects.

Average personal loan interest rates increased over the last seven days for 3- and 5-year loans. While 3-year loan rates rose by 0.11 percentage points, rates on 5-year loans jumped by 1.48 percentage points. Interest rates for both terms remain significantly higher than they were this time last year, up 0.20 percentage points for 3-year loans, and 4.61 percentage points for 5-year loans. 

Still, borrowers can take advantage of interest savings with a 3- or 5-year personal loan, as both loan terms offer lower interest rates on average than higher-cost borrowing options such as credit cards. 

But whether a personal loan is right for you depends on multiple factors, including what rate you can qualify for, which is largely based on your credit score. Comparing multiple lenders and their rates helps ensure you get the best personal loan for your needs. 

Before applying for a personal loan, use a personal loan marketplace like Credible to comparison shop.

Here are the latest trends in personal loan interest rates from the Credible marketplace, updated weekly.

The chart above shows average prequalified rates for borrowers with credit scores of 720 or higher who used the Credible marketplace to select a lender. 

For the month of February 2024:

Rates on personal loans vary considerably by credit score and loan term. If you’re curious about what kind of personal loan rates you may qualify for, you can use an online tool like Credible to compare options from different private lenders.

All Credible marketplace lenders offer fixed-rate loans at competitive rates. Because lenders use different methods to evaluate borrowers, it’s a good idea to request personal loan rates from multiple lenders so you can compare your options.

In February, the average prequalified rate selected by borrowers was: 

Depending on factors such as your credit score, which type of personal loan you’re seeking and the loan repayment term, the interest rate can differ. 

As shown in the chart above, a good credit score can mean a lower interest rate, and rates tend to be higher on loans with fixed interest rates and longer repayment terms. 

Many factors influence the interest rate a lender might offer you on a personal loan. But you can take some steps to boost your chances of getting a lower interest rate. Here are some tactics to try.

Generally, people with higher credit scores qualify for lower interest rates. Steps that can help you improve your credit score over time include:

Personal loan repayment terms can vary from one to several years. Generally, shorter terms come with lower interest rates, since the lender’s money is at risk for a shorter period of time.

If your financial situation allows, applying for a shorter term could help you score a lower interest rate. Keep in mind the shorter term doesn’t just benefit the lender – by choosing a shorter repayment term, you’ll pay less interest over the life of the loan.

You may be familiar with the concept of a cosigner if you have student loans. If your credit isn’t good enough to qualify for the best personal loan interest rates, finding a cosigner with good credit could help you secure a lower interest rate.

Just remember, if you default on the loan, your cosigner will be on the hook to repay it. And cosigning for a loan could also affect their credit score.

Before applying for a personal loan, it’s a good idea to shop around and compare offers from several different lenders to get the lowest rates. Online lenders typically offer the most competitive rates – and can be quicker to disburse your loan than a brick-and-mortar establishment. 

But don’t worry, comparing rates and terms doesn’t have to be a time-consuming process.

Credible makes it easy. Just enter how much you want to borrow and you’ll be able to compare multiple lenders to choose the one that makes the most sense for you.

Credible is a multi-lender marketplace that empowers consumers to discover financial products that are the best fit for their unique circumstances. Credible’s integrations with leading lenders and credit bureaus allow consumers to quickly compare accurate, personalized loan options – without putting their personal information at risk or affecting their credit score. The Credible marketplace provides an unrivaled customer experience, as reflected by over 6,500 positive Trustpilot reviews and a TrustScore of 4.7/5.

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[Fox Business] Nine states plan to ban gas-powered car sales by 2035

Nine states are planning to ban new gasoline-powered vehicle sales by 2035 as part of an initiative to cut climate-warming emissions.

The Advanced Clean Cars II rules originated in California with the state Air Resources Board. The regulations in California look to phase out the sale of new gas vehicles beginning with the 2026 model year, scaling back over time until 2035 – when a total ban on the sales will go into effect.

Since the rules were first adopted in California in 2022, eight other states have followed suit, with several others considering the plan.

So far, the other states that have implemented the plan to hit the goal of selling zero new gas-powered vehicles by 2035 include Washington, Oregon, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Delaware and Maryland.

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The rules do not stop residents in these states from owning or using gas-powered cars, nor do they force consumers to buy electric vehicles (EVs). Dealerships can still sell used cars powered by gas, and consumers in these states can purchase the gas-powered vehicles in other states – as long as they meet certain emissions standards. 

Not everyone, however, supports this effort.

The New Jersey Business and Industry Association (NJBIA) led a campaign last year to try and stop New Jersey’s adoption of the Advanced Clean Cars II rule.

Ray Cantor, the chief deputy government affairs officer at the NJBIA, told Fox News Digital in a statement that the plan ignores the cost to consumers and lack of current infrastructure.

“The ban on new gas-powered cars in such an expedited time does not take costs or feasibility into account,” Cantor said. “It does not take the lack of local and highway infrastructure into account. It does not take grid capacity into account. It ignores consumer choice. It doesn’t take New Jersey residents into account, especially low- and moderate-income families. And it doesn’t take the lack of actual environmental benefit into account.”

Cantor urged New Jersey to “apply the brakes” to what he called an obvious “bureaucratic overreach” before the mandate starts to affect consumers.

“There’s nothing wrong with working to reduce carbon emissions,” Cantor said. “And the marketplace would have likely seen a natural increase of EV users with an organic time frame to build appropriate capacities. But the near-term, targeted mandates will increase the prices of both new and used gas-powered cars.”

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In support of the action, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Director Terry Gray has called the rules a “major step” in the fight against climate change in the transportation sector.

“In terms of economic impact, states joining together to send a clear signal to the market will result in greater economies of scale, driving down the prices of ZEVs (zero-emission vehicles), and ensuring that Rhode Island dealers and customers have full access to electric vehicles,” Gray said.

The rules come as the Biden administration has sought to push the transportation sector from gas-powered vehicles to EVs as part of its climate agenda.

Last year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled its own plan to increase vehicle pollution standards that will impact car model years 2027 through 2032. 

If the EPA’s regulations are finalized, a staggering 67% of new sedan, crossover, SUV and light truck purchases could be electric by 2032, the White House projected. In addition, up to 50% of bus and garbage truck, 35% of short-haul freight tractor and 25% of long-haul freight tractor purchases could be electric by then.

However, the push toward EVs has faced multiple setbacks in the industry.

Earlier this month, Hertz CEO Stephen Scherr resigned after the car rental company’s big bet on EVs went bust due to its struggles to keep up with the higher repair cost and lower demand for EV rentals.

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Ford’s EV division, Ford Model e, posted a net loss of $4.7 billion last year — with $1.6 billion of that in the last quarter — and Ford’s chief financial officer John Lawler explained during the company’s earnings call last month that both “the quarter and year were impacted by challenging market dynamics and investments in next-generation vehicles.”

Fox News’ Thomas Catenacci and Eric Revell contributed to this report.

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[Fox Business] Kansas AG sues to block Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach is leading a group of six states in filing a lawsuit against President Biden’s latest attempt at student loan forgiveness on Thursday.

Kansas was among the six states who successfully challenged Biden’s original student loan forgiveness program last year. Kobach says this latest program flies in the face of the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling and breaks many of the same rules.

“Not since the civil war has a president told the Supreme Court, ‘Yeah you blocked me, but I’m gonna do it anyway.’” Kobach told Fox News Digital in an interview. “Biden is trying to twist federal law once again, and his new plan is just as illegal as the old plan.”

Biden announced his new $138 billion student loan plan in February, somewhat smaller than the $430 billion program from 2023.

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“The Supreme Court blocked it, but that didn’t stop me,” Biden boasted at the time.

Biden reaffirmed his commitment in a statement on social media this week, saying, “I’m not backing down.”

“From day one, I promised to fix broken student loan programs and make sure higher education is a ticket to the middle class, not a barrier to opportunity,” Biden wrote on X.

Kobach says Biden’s program seeks to reduce monthly loan payments to near zero by adjusting the terms of loan repayment, rather than forgiving the loans outright. The effect of the move is the same, however, and transfers mountains of debt onto American taxpayers.

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The Kansas lawsuit further argues that Biden’s move violates the Supreme Court’s “major questions doctrine,” in which Congress is presumed to retain authority to assign major policy decisions to an agency.

Kobach argues that forgiving $138 billion in student loan debt – a number he says has grown since Biden’s announcement – is certainly a major policy decision falling under the purview of Congress.

Kobach went on to argue that the loan forgiveness program is simply bad policy, saying it shifts debt from some of America’s most wealthy, upper class citizens onto all American taxpayers.

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“As a parent scraping to set aside money to help my own children get through college without taking on student loans, I feel the unfairness directly,” Kobach wrote in a February op-ed for the Washington Free Beacon.

The Supreme Court struck down Biden’s $430 billion student loan program in 2023 with a 6-3 vote.

Biden reaffirmed his commitment to the student loan push in a Tuesday statement on social media.

“From day one, I promised to fix broken student loan programs and make sure higher education is a ticket to the middle class, not a barrier to opportunity. I’m not backing down,” Biden wrote.

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[Fox Business] Easter candy choices across the US: Here are the most popular picks on DoorDash

The Easter bunny will be hopping into homes soon.

Ahead of Easter Sunday on March 31, 2024, online food ordering and delivery platform DoorDash shared interesting data about American consumers’ candy-ordering habits.

“For many, Easter is synonymous with long-held traditions like family dinner, egg hunts and baskets filled with beloved candy and treats,” Alanna Shipley, consumer insights expert at DoorDash, told FOX Business.  

“We know Easter candy reigns supreme as the favorite holiday candy of choice, and we’ve seen one festive treat remain a staple in many shoppers’ carts: chocolate Easter eggs,” Shipley added. 

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She said that last year was no exception, “with Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs being the top-ordered Easter candy on DoorDash nationwide, followed by the Milk Chocolate Cadbury Creme Eggs.” (Those on the West Coast, she said, largely prefer the Cadbury Creme Egg as their No. 1 treat.)

In celebration of the upcoming holiday, Doordash also created a map showing the most popular candy in every state in America. 

Check out the map below to see the sweet treat that reigns supreme in your neck of the woods, based on the top candy purchases per state in the two-week period leading up to and ending on Easter last year.

“As we near the holiday, we’ve also noticed that many consumers wait until the ‘week of’ to stock up on certain items like candy and groceries for their festive celebrations,” said Shipley.

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She said that with “thousands of local and national grocers, retailers and convenience stores on our platform, consumers no longer have to hop to the store and can get all their Easter essentials delivered same-day.”

Here are the top-ordered Easter candy choices nationwide, according to DoorDash’s 2023 ordering data:

And it wouldn’t be Easter season without marshmallows. 

In the map below, you can see the most popular marshmallow chick color in each state.  

The data is based on the top marshmallow chick purchases per state in the month leading up to and ending on Easter in 2023.

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So what are you including in your candy selection for this Easter Sunday?

For more information, visit DoorDash.com.

For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle.

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