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Had the Clippers not righted the ship this season, they could have sent the OKC Thunder into lottery night with more than a 40% chance of landing a top-four pick.

Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album Sour reaches 250 weeks on the Billboard 200, becoming her first project to hit that milestone.

Publix, which operates more than 1,400 stores in the U.S., has recently landed in hot water with customers. As it struggles with weak sales growth, the grocery chain has decided to discontinue a yearslong payment option that made grocery shopping more seamless for customers, sparking criticism from shoppers who relied on it. After seeing comparable-store sales increase 6% year over year in the second quarter of 2025, Publix’s sales growth has since slowly dipped. In the third quarter, its comparable sales increased by 3.4%, and in the fourth quarter, it spiked by a mere 0.7%, according to its latest earnings report. The company said the slow sales growth during the fourth quarter, compared to the same quarter in 2024, was mainly due to the high demand it faced in October 2024 from Hurricane Milton. Many U.S. consumers have also been more cautious about their spending as they face higher prices for essential goods due to inflation. A survey from Swiftly in December found that 68% of Americans struggle to afford groceries.Also, 65% said rising food prices have impacted how they shop, with many relying on digital tools such as retailer apps, digital coupons, cashback offers, and grocery loyalty programs to save money.“Today’s shoppers expect savings to be simple, intuitive, and highly personalized across mobile, web, loyalty, and in-store touchpoints,” said Swiftly Co-Founder Sean Turner in a press release. “Technology is the infrastructure that enables grocers to honor that trust while delivering value at scale.”Publix will soon discontinue a convenient digital payment optionAs more consumers seek value from digital experiences grocery chains offer, Publix has recently decided to discontinue Publix Pay, its contactless in-app payment option first made available to customers in 2020.Publix Pay allows shoppers to use the Publix app to store payment methods such as credit, debit, and gift cards, and then scan an in-store QR code to check out at the register using the PIN-protected payment tool. The tool also allows customers to automatically redeem digital coupons they had clipped in the app and to receive digital receipts. Related: Kroger CEO pledges key changes to boost customer loyaltyPublix Pay will be officially discontinued on March 19. In a statement to Grocery Dive, a Publix spokesperson said the change will allow the company to shift its focus to other priorities aimed at improving the customer experience. “This change allows us to focus on enhancing and expanding other features that provide value and convenience for our customers,” said the Publix spokesperson. Customers will still be able to make payments with gift cards saved in the Publix app. They can also use other contactless pay options, such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, on their phones in stores. Publix faces backlash as customers react to payment changePublix notified customers of this change via email, and some took to social media platform Reddit to claim that the move was “a step backwards,” since Publix Pay made shopping in stores easier. “So dumb. Been paying this way for 6 years. Loved not having to enter my phone number in the keypad for digital coupons/savings or touch anything. Great job, Publix. Keep making things worse and less convenient,” wrote one Publix shopper. “I think it’s a step backwards as well. Publix Pay allows me to use a preferred card and not have to enter my phone number to get a digital receipt. Now I’ll have to enter my phone number and either use Tap To Pay or carry my preferred card with me. I usually do not carry it with me and I haven’t entered it into Apple Pay. I use this card exclusively with Publix and nowhere else,” wrote another.“Publix pay was a lifeline for me when I family member let me link their card for groceries after losing my job. Shame that they are discontinuing it,” wrote another Publix customer. 

Publix is facing backlash over its decision to discontinue Publix Pay.Shutterstock

Why Publix’s payment change may put the chain at a disadvantageFrustrated customers are the last thing Publix needs. This criticism is occurring at a time when the grocery chain is already facing backlash over its high prices, with some customers accusing it of “price gouging.”Publix is also facing heightened competition from rivals such as Walmart and Kroger, which both saw their comparable sales (excluding fuel) increase by 4.6% and 2.4%, respectively, year over year during the fourth quarter of 2025. More Retail:Home Depot CEO raises alarm bells on consumer problem in storesRoss Stores CEO eyes a change that could drive away shoppersKroger CEO pledges key changes to boost customer loyaltyBoth retailers also currently offer touch-free payment options in their apps, which will soon give them a leg up over Publix.It is vital that Publix doubles down on offering value and convenience to its customers, as many Americans continue to feel financial strain this year, leading them to cut back on spending, a new survey from EY-Parthenon found.How Americans are adjusting their spending habits in 2026:Roughly 1 in 4 U.S. consumers said they were financially worse off in December compared with the previous month.About 70% reported having moderate or major concern about the high cost of living, especially when it comes to grocery prices.Travel, dining out, and entertainment rank among the top spending categories in which consumers are cutting back.Even higher-income shoppers are watching prices more closely, often shopping sales, comparing prices, and turning to private label products.
Source: EY-Parthenon
“Rising financial anxiety shows pressure is building beneath the surface,” said EY-Parthenon Americas Retail Sector Leader Mark Chambers in a press release.“Reaching consumers long-term will require retailers to strike the balance between implementing cutting-edge technology and keeping human experience at the forefront,” he added. “Retailers that emphasize value, convenience and affordability will be best positioned to maintain consumer loyalty in the months ahead.”Related: BJ’s Wholesale makes bold move to lure more shoppers

The phone rings. The screen shows your bank’s number. The voice says there is a problem with your account and you need to act fast. Within minutes, your savings are gone.This is not a rare story. It plays out countless times a day, across every continent. And it is made possible by a technique that telecom networks have yet to fully stop: caller ID spoofing.According to the CFCA’s latest data cited by TNS, global telecom fraud losses reached $41.82 billion in the most recent reporting period, up from $38.95 billion in 2023. Experts say even that number misses most of the damage.The real cost of spoofed calls is far higher than reportedThe CFCA figure tracks losses sustained by telecom operators themselves, covering billing fraud, network abuse, and wholesale theft. What it leaves out is the money consumers lose after picking up a spoofed call.The official figure barely scratches the surface, says Eric Priezkalns, editor of industry publication Commsrisk. “Drawing on statistics presented by police forces and consumer affairs bodies worldwide, we can say with absolute certainty that consumers are losing far more to phone scams than industry surveys suggest,” he told TheStreet. CFCA surveys rely on voluntary participation from operators, many of which lack detailed tracking systems or avoid associating their brand with fraud data.More Telecom News:T-Mobile drops 2 new phone plans to stop customers from fleeingVerizon CEO shifts gears after 2.25 million customers departAT&T closes billion-dollar acquisition to win back customersThe spoofing threat driving those consumer losses has also grown more accessible. Organized fraud networks now sell ready-made kits and calling services online, allowing low-skill operators to run impersonation campaigns at industrial scale. The most financially destructive application is Authorized Push Payment fraud, or APP fraud, where victims are manipulated into transferring money directly to criminals. According to Deloitte, U.S. losses from APP fraud could hit nearly $15 billion annually by 2028.What makes APP fraud so effective over voice:Between 45 and 50 percent of APP attacks originate over the traditional voice channel.Spoofed numbers allow scammers to impersonate banks, government agencies, and telecoms convincingly.Social engineering over a live call creates urgency that leaves victims little time to verify.Transfers are often instant and irreversible once completed.The industry’s main defense against call spoofing has a critical flawMost carriers use filtering systems that scan for suspicious call patterns. When fraud is detected, the offending number gets blocked. It sounds reasonable. But there is a structural problem baked into the approach.”The first set of fraudulent calls will generally connect successfully, since traditional anti-fraud systems rely on historic data first being generated in order to ‘block it next time,'” Arnd Baranowski, CEO of telecom software firm Oculeus, told TheStreet. “So a certain number will always get through first.”By the time a carrier updates its block list, scammers have already moved on to fresh numbers and new targets. The GLF Fraud Report found CLI spoofing is now the top concern among operators globally, with 55 percent reporting high volumes, up from 49 percent the prior year. Meanwhile, 76 percent of carriers say fraudulent calls have meaningfully eroded subscriber confidence, pushing users away from voice altogether.What reactive call filtering cannot stop:First-wave calls from any new spoofing campaign, which always connect before the number is flaggedScammers rotating through fresh numbers faster than block lists can updateCalls routed through carriers that have not yet deployed filtering toolsAI-assisted spoofing operations that generate new numbers at scale

Most phone carriers use filtering systems that scan for suspicious call patterns, but this is a reactive rather than proactive approach.Economou/Getty Images

Real-time caller identity verification changes the equationA fundamentally different approach is gaining ground, according to Baranowski. He advocates that rather than blocking known bad numbers after the fact, real-time authentication systems can verify a caller’s identity during the call setup process itself, before the phone ever rings.These systems operate at the call setup level, verifying whether the originating number is legitimate before the connection is established. The authentication happens in milliseconds. If the number fails verification, the call never reaches the recipient at all.The catch is participation. Both carriers in the chain need to be enrolled for the system to work. Carriers that hold back become the weakest link. “Operators that choose to decline to join the collaboration face being targeted by ever higher volumes of fraudulent traffic as the fraudsters run out of soft targets,” Baranowski said. Asked what percentage of spoofed fraud calls would stop under full industry participation, Baranowski did not hesitate: “The short answer is 100%.”Collaboration for telecom fraud prevention is now a commercial imperativeRegulatory pressure is mounting globally. The FCC tightened rules on robocalls and VoIP fraud in 2024. Regulators across the EU and Asia-Pacific have introduced similar consumer protection mandates. Each new rule shifts more liability onto carriers that have been slow to act.Regulation sets the floor. But it cannot close the technical gap on its own. Real-time authentication only works at scale. A spoofed call crossing three networks is only as secure as the carrier that has not yet acted. That makes industry collaboration not just a technical preference, but also a commercial necessity.Related: T-Mobile adds free new service as it loses phone customers

TheStreet aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.Why we love this dealWhether you’re catching up on cleaning around the house or in the middle of your morning commute, listening to something can make the time more enjoyable. A reliable headphone that lasts a long time, offers high-quality sound, and includes quality-of-life features lets you seamlessly switch between music, podcasts, calls, and devices without worrying about battery life.  If you’re looking for an easy way to listen to what you want, when you want, the Qecnato Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds are a great choice. With crystal-clear sound quality, tons of features, and 75 hours of total playback time with the charging case, these headphones are a steal at 80% off. Shoppers can pay just $22 for these headphones that were originally $110. Qecnato Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds, $22 (was $110) at Amazon

Courtesy of Amazon

Why do shoppers love it?The Bluetooth 5.4 headphones are compatible with most devices, including iPhones, Android phones, Windows systems, tablets, TVs, and more, and feature anti-interference capabilities that help maintain a clear connection and make it easy to switch between devices in a snap. The ergonomic ear hooks are designed for sports use, offering a secure fit. This feature also makes them great for use anywhere, anytime. The waterproof design protects against sweat and unexpected rain, and the soft silicone provides all-day comfort for walks, the gym, commuting, and hanging out at home. Related: Walmart’s bestselling noise-canceling headphones are just $25 with a Flash dealThe smart touch control makes it easy to control what you’re listening to. Whether you need to answer a phone call using the four-microphone array with noise-cancelling technology while talking, or adjust the volume, the high-sensitivity touch control provides easy access. They last up to 15 hours on a single charge and, when paired with the featured charging case, up to 75 hours before needing to recharge the case and headphones. The case has an LED display that shows the battery and earbud charging percentages, allowing you to keep an eye on them as they get low. Shoppers can choose from six colors, all under $25. Details to knowPlayback time: These headphones last up to 17 hours off one charge, and up to 75 hours with the charging case. Features: They can receive and make calls, offer a voice assistant, are waterproof, and feature an LED screen to see charge percentage. Colors: Choose from black, blue, dark blue, dark purple, red, or white.”They completely exceeded my expectations. The battery life truly amazed me; the official 75-hour claim is no exaggeration. With my commute and an hour of running daily, it’s been almost two weeks, and it still has power left, completely eliminating battery anxiety,” said one reviewer. Another shopper said, “These headphones surprised me with their clear sound, strong bass, and comfortable fit. The battery lasts a long time, they pair quickly, and they stay in place even when I’m on the move. It’s excellent value for the price — I highly recommend them.”Shop more dealsTagry 60-Hour Playback Bluetooth Earbud Headphones, $26 (was $40) at AmazonJesebang Wireless Over-the-Ear Earbud Bluetooth Headphones, $21 (was $33) at AmazonBeribes Wireless Bluetooth Headphones, $20 (was $29) at AmazonWhether you listen to your favorite music in the gym or to the latest audiobook on your morning walk, the Qecnato Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds offer comfortable, long-lasting use. The crystal-clear call quality, simple connectivity, and 75 hours of playtime make these headphones versatile and useful for everyday use. These $110 earbuds are just $22 on Amazon right now, offering 80% savings for shoppers.

A new generation of money-minded parents is urging young people who want to start families to map a path to early financial independence so they can prioritize their families.

While the broader software sector stumbles, cybersecurity platforms are emerging as essential infrastructure needed to channel rising traffic from AI agents.

During my career reporting on mortgage rates and the housing market, I’ve watched homeowners carry specific ideas about when they should refinance and when they shouldn’t. There aren’t any hard-and-fast rules, though — every family’s situation is different, and the real estate market and its “rules” are constantly changing.For a long time, a popular idea was that you should refinance only if your new mortgage rate would be at least 1 percentage point lower than your current one. This way, your savings interest would be more likely to offset the closing costs you pay up front when refinancing.However, an analysis by real estate technology company Redfin discovered that now is a good time for many to refinance, and the 1% rule isn’t necessarily relevant in the current market.This calculation was based on a 6.08% rate, which was the year-to-date average at the time of publication.Redfin found that 1 in 5 homeowners could benefit from refinancingMost homeowners don’t need to lock in a rate that’s 1% lower than what they have now. Lowering their rate by 0.5% could very well be enough to save money. Redfin detected that one in five households with a home loan could save money by refinancing into a lower-rate mortgage in today’s market.Why is 0.5% the new goal? Because in Q3 2025, more mortgage borrowers had a rate over 6% than under 3%, marking the first instance in five years. National average mortgage rates are hovering around 6% right now, according to Freddie Mac, which gives those homeowners the opportunity to refinance into a lower rate.“Say someone bought a $500,000 home in October 2023, when rates hit a 20-year high of 7.8%. Their monthly mortgage payment would be about $3,700, assuming a 20% down payment,” Redfin wrote. “Refinancing to a 6% rate would bring the payment down to about $3,200, saving $500 per month. If the homeowner pays $10,000 in refinance fees, it would take less than two years — 20 months — for the monthly savings to pay for the fees.”If the homeowner in this example stayed in the house for more than 20 months, they would recoup their up-front costs. After the 20-month mark, that $500 per month would be pure savings.“The last time this many homeowners were in the money for a refinance was the end of 2021, when mortgage rates averaged 3.08%, and roughly two in five (39.4%) would have benefited from refinancing,” Redfin wrote.Homeowners are losing out on savings by not refinancingSo, it’s the best time in years to refinance your mortgage. However, Redfin found that roughly one in 10 (9.1%) of eligible homeowners are actually refinancing to save money.“That’s the lowest ‘take-up rate’ for homeowners who could benefit from refinancing since the beginning of 2020,” the report stated.More about mortgages and the housing market:The conflict in Iran pushes mortgage rates over 6%Existing-home sales exceed Goldman Sachs’ expectationsZillow predicts mortgage rate, housing market changeSo far in Q1 2026, homeowners have refinanced around $223 billion of mortgage loans. There was potential for Americans to refinance $2.24 trillion in mortgages if the 90.9% who were eligible to save had refinanced.The analysis listed three main reasons homeowners haven’t refinanced yet in 2026: They aren’t aware that they could save by refinancing right now, they’re holding out for lower mortgage rates, or they’re worried about closing costs.I have been reporting on daily mortgage rates for years, and I can’t count the number of times mortgage rates have increased when the general public expected them to decrease. If a homeowner stands to save money by refinancing now, waiting simply in hopes of lower rates might not be the best idea. It’s a risky game to play, and there’s zero guarantee that rates will actually go down soon.And I won’t deny that closing costs can be expensive — but that’s why it’s crucial to shop for lenders with the lowest fees, consider no-closing-cost refinances, or opt for the less-expensive streamline refinance, if you qualify. Also, remember that your monthly savings will help offset what you pay on closing day.How to know when it makes sense to refinance your mortgage Redfin’s report makes it clear that more people could benefit from refinancing, but that still doesn’t mean refinancing is the right move for every homeowner. Here are some ways to determine whether refinancing is a good move for you right now.Look at your current mortgage interest rate. Is it over 6%? Then you might qualify for a lower rate now. Remember, Redfin stated that lowering your rate by just 0.50% could be enough to benefit financially.Estimate your closing costs.According to Freddie Mac, refinance closing costs typically total 3% to 6% of your mortgage principal. So, if you refinance into a $500,000 loan, expect to pay $15,000 to $30,000 in closing costs.Talk to your current mortgage lender. Get a better idea of what your new rate could be and how much you’ll pay in closing costs, and consider shopping with a few more to find the best deal.Calculate your “break-even point.” This is the amount of time it takes for your monthly savings to cancel out the money you spent on closing costs. If you spend $15,000 on closing costs and your new rate would save you $400 per month, your break-even point would be 50 months, or just over four years.Consider how long you expect to stay in the house. In the above example, refinancing probably wouldn’t be financially worth it if you plan to move in a year or two. But if you want to stay for more than four years, then you’ll save money in the long run.Related: Redfin, Zillow reveal major mortgage rate, housing market change

Broadcast Retirement Network’s Jeffrey Snyder discusses how consumers can select the best over-the-counter hearing aids with Akoio’s Bill Schiffmiller, MPS.Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkJoining me now is Bill Schiffmiller of Akoio. Bill, it’s so great to see you. Thanks so much for joining us this morning.Bill Schiffmiller, MPS, AkoioIt’s nice to join you again, Jeff.Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkYeah. And you are heavily involved in the, I would say, hearing technology world. And so I wanted to come to you because there are so many platforms now available, so many products and tools available over the counter as a result of an FDA ruling that I think it’s hard for consumers to kind of figure out where to go, how to select them.So let me get your first impression of the marketplace today. Let’s start there. What’s your impression?Bill Schiffmiller, MPS, AkoioWell, right now, I think it’s great that the FDA offered their approval on over-the-counter hearing aids. It’s a long time coming. Part of the challenge to that is when you look at hearing loss, we always look at prescriptive hearing aids.And that is for the very few, if you look at the market. So let’s take 100%. 20% of those who need truly hearing aids, prescriptive hearing aids, they would go to the audiologist and get those expensive options, which is appropriate for them.With OTC, now we’re looking at the other 80%, and that is those with mild to moderate loss. The challenge with that market is the awareness piece. Are you getting folks aware of their hearing?And what is their hearing profile? If you don’t have that kind of information, how do I know where to go and which product to choose when it comes to over-the-counter hearing aids? Now, there are many players in that space.You’re seeing advertisement on television. You see promotions via online. But how do I know I’m getting the right one?The way I look at hearing aids and OTC as well is it’s like choosing a car. Where do I go to get the right kind of car that’s going to be right for me? Is it performance?Is it comfort? Is it the price point? There are so many factors that need to be taken into account.With that being said, I always like to go, hey, where can you go to try products and get a profile and then allow you to try it for 30 days and you can bring it back if needed? So there are two players in that space. That does it for me.I think they can afford to address this market. And that’s Apple. And then there’s a company called Nuance Audio with their hearing glasses, which is part of Essilor Lasotica.And Essilor Lasotica, for our viewers, is the don. They’re the large eye-framing company. But what’s great about Essilor Lasotica is not only do they have these eye-framing brands, but they also have retail brands like Lenscraper and ProVision.And then you also have Apple. While we all know their products, we know that they have retail presence. So you can start by going into a retail store and say, hey, I want to try on the product that you’re offering when it comes to hearing.So once again, you have Essilor with their Nuance Audio hearing glasses. And then you have Apple with their Apple AirPod Pro 2, as well as Apple AirPod Pro 3. And both of these products by these companies are FBA-approved OTCs.Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkSo to follow up on that, Bill, I mean, the thesis that you have is that there are a lot of offerings out there, but you got to have a presence in order to do the education around it to make sure that people understand not only what they’re buying, but also how to deploy it. Because you just mentioned two very big brands. They both have that.Am I understanding that correctly from your perspective?Bill Schiffmiller, MPS, AkoioThat is correct. Not only do you have salespeople on the floor to work with you and set the right expectations, but they’re going to be a lot of questions. But they also have testing features built in to say, hey, we want to start you on the right foot and go, hey, is this the right product for you?So what they both have are the ability to do hearing tests and then determine, okay, your range is XYZ. These products will be appropriate for you. However, if it’s not, we recommend that you go and see an audiologist.So that, I think, is responsible. It’s smart. And you’re setting folks in the right direction.And what a great way to get them aware of, oh, well, what is my hearing profile? What does that really all mean?Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkYeah, I’m sorry to interrupt you. I was going to say, I like that, you know, it’s not about just selling the product and moving on and buying. Because I think there are a lot of people out there, Bill, that do not kind of under or maybe they don’t even recognize that they have hearing loss or they’re afraid to do something about their hearing loss because there used to be a stigma around, hey, I’m an old guy now and I can’t hear.But that stigma has really dissipated. So people should feel pretty comfortable going to these brands and trying to figure out a solution because it’s really uncomfortable to not be able to hear certain parts of a conversation.Bill Schiffmiller, MPS, AkoioAnd also, Jeff, what’s cool about this is when it comes to auditory matters, we’re not talking about hearing loss so much. We’re not talking about granddad’s hearing aid anymore. Now it’s a question of what is my auditory world like?Noise. Auditory fatigue. If I can hear well, I’m just stressed.I’m having some issues associated with noise. And what’s great about those products that I mentioned is they have added features in there that can help deal with noise and stress. And we hear about noise cancellation and features like that.That is a wonderful way to get people to realize, I don’t know why, but I feel better when I use these products. And when you do that, that is a great entry point. So one day, if they need a prescriptive hearing aid, because we do lose some hearing over time, they will be open and more receptive to a prescriptive hearing aid the way we know it today.And go, you know what? I benefited from these OTC over the years, but now that I’m older, my needs have changed. I am more open, more knowledgeable of what’s out there to help me.Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkYeah. Very well said, Bill. Bill, we’re going to have to leave it there.It’s always great to see you. Thanks for sharing your insight into the marketplace. And we look forward to having you back on the program again very soon, sir.Bill Schiffmiller, MPS, AkoioThank you, Jeff. Good to be with you.