Business

The 2026 Social Security COLA was calculated using mid‑2025 inflation data, and the article reports that gold often rises when the dollar weakens and can act as a diversifying hedge.

Climate campaigners warned EU leaders not to weaken green policies ahead of a summit on reviving the bloc's economy, saying deregulation would not address industry pressures; the European Commission has proposed omnibus deregulation measures while a thinktank found many reform recommendations remain unimplemented.

Millions of Americans are set to receive Social Security payments this week, and the SSA will issue payments on Wednesday, Feb. 11 to recipients with birthdays from the 1st through the 10th.

The article reports that imports of Chinese solar equipment to Africa rose 50% in the first 10 months of 2025 as households and small businesses adopt off-grid systems to avoid unreliable national power supplies.

The Philadelphia Fire Department will visit neighborhoods affected by recent fatal fires this week to distribute and install free smoke alarms, and representatives from the department and the American Red Cross will take part.

Coco Jones sang "Lift Every Voice and Sing" before the 2026 Super Bowl; Jones is a Grammy-winning singer who won Best R&B Performance in 2024.

Ahead of Super Bowl LX, Boston Police said they will increase patrols and announced street closures across Brighton, Kenmore Square, Northeastern, Faneuil Hall and North Station for Sunday night into early Monday morning.

An analysis of Google search data by the blog Coffeeness found hard‑boiled eggs were the most searched healthy Super Bowl snack in over half the states, with pico de gallo, pistachios and cowboy caviar leading searches in other states.

Chipotle will publish a 30-second Instagram Reel during the Super Bowl with a text-to-claim code, and the first 100,000 people who text the code can receive a free entrée.

A Hamas source told the Saudi outlet Asharq Al-Awsat that some hostages in Gaza were kept only meters from IDF soldiers and that living captives were regularly moved between hiding places to avoid detection.

William Wilson began a single-truck route in 1925 that grew to serve dozens of South Dakota towns and expanded into a multi-state carrier; the company later became All American Freight System, which filed for bankruptcy in 1988.

Washington Post CEO and publisher Will Lewis announced he is stepping down after the paper announced mass layoffs; Jeff D'Onofrio has been named acting CEO and publisher effective immediately.

Zach Werenski arrived at Milano Cortina 2026 for Team USA wearing a sweatshirt from the John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation, which honors the late brothers who died in August 2024.

Larry Fitzgerald was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the 2026 class and will be formally inducted on August 8 in Canton, Ohio.

For the first time, the Super Bowl will fall on Feb. 14, overlapping with Valentine's Day; retailers and consumers are noting the potential effects on spending and plans.

President Donald Trump removed the extra 25% tariff tied to India’s purchases of Russian oil, effective Feb. 7, and the U.S. also cut a reciprocal levy that brings the effective tariff rate on Indian goods to 18%.

Solowin announced a partnership with Taobao Shangou and Hangzhou Bossen to embed high-quality carbon assets into Taobao Shangou's incentive system, and Solowin's Ferion system will allocate rewards to users for low-carbon choices.

A federal judge allowed Zillow's policy banning certain private home listings to remain in place while litigation continues, finding that Compass had not shown Zillow engaged in anticompetitive behavior or held monopoly power.

A parent posted on Reddit asking whether their child should take student loans for a dream school, and the article notes average student loan debt of about $42,673.

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said its food price index averaged 123.9 points in January, down 0.4% from December and marking a fifth consecutive monthly decline; dairy, meat and sugar fell while cereals and vegetable oils rose.

Halifax data show the average UK home rose 0.7% in January to £300,077, the first time the typical price has exceeded £300,000; annual growth accelerated to 1% from 0.4%.

The Reserve Bank of India left the repurchase rate at 5.25% after a unanimous six-member MPC vote and kept a neutral policy stance; higher government spending and a US tariff cut on Indian goods were cited as supporting the growth outlook.

PepsiCo said it will ask retailers to lower suggested retail prices on many of its snacks by up to nearly 15 percent ahead of the Super Bowl, and the company noted retailers set final shelf prices.

Disneyland's Haunted Mansion courtyard will host early-morning ceremonies for up to 25 guests beginning July 2026, and wedding packages include an officiant, photography, light décor and transportation to and from a Disneyland Resort hotel.

The White House launched TrumpRx, a drug-buying website listing roughly 40 medicines with discounted direct-to-consumer prices. The site mainly targets uninsured or self-pay patients and includes products from five manufacturers.

Eileen Gu posted a 29-second Instagram reel that drew more than a million views, and Sportico reported she was the fourth highest-paid female athlete of 2025 with all but $20,000 of her $23 million coming from endorsements.

Advocates asked New Mexico Senate lawmakers to preserve a $60 million allocation in HB2 to raise wages for early childhood educators, citing costly turnover and disruption for families. The governor's proposal for universal childcare remains unresolved as budget negotiations continue.

Sen. John Boozman said momentum is building after the Senate Agriculture Committee advanced its crypto market-structure bill on a party-line vote; Democrats raised concerns and withdrew support for that version.

CEO Bill Barton outlined a three-step tariff-mitigation approach based on private-label sourcing, shifting production, and keeping price increases as a last resort; the company's S-1 filed with its IPO shows revenue rose 20% to $1.72 billion and net income increased nearly 64% to $81 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2025.

The Bolingbrook Black History Month Awareness Club, co-founded in 1997 by Anita Kontoh Scott and Bernard Winston, will hold its 28th annual event on Feb. 7 at Bolingbrook High School with performances, activities and scholarships; the free event runs 2–5 p.m.