Shoplifters and Retailers Play Cat and Mouse
A Tennessee woman has been banned from every Walmart in the U.S. in connection with a self-checkout scam. WREG News 3 Memphis reports that Ashley Cross, 37, was arrested at a Memphis Walmart for attempting to purchase $137.34 worth of goods — including jeans, a t-shirt, boots, and 11 packs of ramen noodles — for $1 each by scanning a barcode meant for a watch battery. Charged with criminal trespass and theft of merchandise less than $1,000, Cross was to appear in court Feb 19. Meanwhile, the Walmart chain has barred her from all its stores nationwide, issuing this statement: “We value our customers and associates and want them to have a pleasant shopping experience. Though rare, there are instances when someone is no longer welcome in our stores.”
A Tennessee woman has been banned from every Walmart in the U.S. in connection with a self-checkout scam. WREG News 3 Memphis reports that Ashley Cross, 37, was arrested at a Memphis Walmart for attempting to purchase $137.34 worth of goods — including jeans, a t-shirt, boots, and 11 packs of ramen noodles — for $1 each by scanning a barcode meant for a watch battery. Charged with criminal trespass and theft of merchandise less than $1,000, Cross was to appear in court Feb 19. Meanwhile, the Walmart chain has barred her from all its stores nationwide, issuing this statement: “We value our customers and associates and want them to have a pleasant shopping experience. Though rare, there are instances when someone is no longer welcome in our stores.”
Should retirees worry about DOGE?
Lawmakers have expressed concern over Elon Musk’s involvement with DOGE and its potential influence on Social Security funds. “Keep your hands off our Social Security, because this has nothing, nothing to do with government efficiency,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., at a rally outside the Social Security Administration’s headquarters in Maryland on Feb. 10. “Over the last 21 days, we have seen Elon Musk conducting illegal raids on federal agencies with his DOGE crew.” The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is a task force helmed by billionaire Elon Musk that aims to reduce wasteful spending and eliminate unnecessary regulations. The budget proposed by House Republicans calls for cutting $2 trillion from federal spending. While Musk has since said that $1 trillion is more realistic, that’s still a lot of money. Social Security is the federal government’s largest spending category (followed by Medicare and National Defense). It accounts for 21% or $1.5 trillion of the government’s annual budget and supports over 70 million Americans, including retirees, disabled people and children. It’s mainly funded through a payroll tax paid by employers and workers. Nearly 60% of retirees say Social Security is a major source of income for them, according to Gallup. Musk recently took to X to claim he had found serious fraud at the Social Security Administration (SSA) with millions of people over the age of 120 still receiving checks. “Maybe Twilight is real and there are a lot of vampires collecting Social Security,” he wrote. President Trump repeated this claim and added, “If you take all of those millions of people off Social Security, all of a sudden we have a very powerful Social Security with people that are 80 and 70 and 90, but not 200 years old." However, experts have pointed out that the Tesla CEO may have been confused because Social Security’s software system is based on the COBOL a programming language which has a lack of date type. The SSA says it automatically stops benefits when anyone reaches 115. A report from the SSA last year said it made nearly $72 billion in improper payments from FYs 2015 through 2022, most of which were overpayments and are less than 1% of the total benefits paid during that period.
Lawmakers have expressed concern over Elon Musk’s involvement with DOGE and its potential influence on Social Security funds. “Keep your hands off our Social Security, because this has nothing, nothing to do with government efficiency,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., at a rally outside the Social Security Administration’s headquarters in Maryland on Feb. 10. “Over the last 21 days, we have seen Elon Musk conducting illegal raids on federal agencies with his DOGE crew.” The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is a task force helmed by billionaire Elon Musk that aims to reduce wasteful spending and eliminate unnecessary regulations. The budget proposed by House Republicans calls for cutting $2 trillion from federal spending. While Musk has since said that $1 trillion is more realistic, that’s still a lot of money. Social Security is the federal government’s largest spending category (followed by Medicare and National Defense). It accounts for 21% or $1.5 trillion of the government’s annual budget and supports over 70 million Americans, including retirees, disabled people and children. It’s mainly funded through a payroll tax paid by employers and workers. Nearly 60% of retirees say Social Security is a major source of income for them, according to Gallup. Musk recently took to X to claim he had found serious fraud at the Social Security Administration (SSA) with millions of people over the age of 120 still receiving checks. “Maybe Twilight is real and there are a lot of vampires collecting Social Security,” he wrote. President Trump repeated this claim and added, “If you take all of those millions of people off Social Security, all of a sudden we have a very powerful Social Security with people that are 80 and 70 and 90, but not 200 years old." However, experts have pointed out that the Tesla CEO may have been confused because Social Security’s software system is based on the COBOL a programming language which has a lack of date type. The SSA says it automatically stops benefits when anyone reaches 115. A report from the SSA last year said it made nearly $72 billion in improper payments from FYs 2015 through 2022, most of which were overpayments and are less than 1% of the total benefits paid during that period.
Americans Don't Realize Impact of Energy Costs
With millions of Americans struggling with the rising cost of living, personal finance guru Dave Ramsey believes he’s spotted the primary culprit: the cost of energy. “I don't know if people realize that 10% to 15% of the entire economy is energy and it weaves its tentacles through everything else,” the radio host told Donald Trump during an interview in 2024. “So $5 gas affects the bread truck [that’s] delivering the bread and that affects the cost of the bread then and so getting that plentiful changes everything.” President Trump agreed and promised Ramsey his administration would reduce energy prices by 50% within the first year of taking office. Several economists have raised similar concerns about the far-reaching impacts of energy prices, however, they’ve also expressed concerns about the Trump administration trade and tariff policies that may increase the cost of energy instead of reducing it.
With millions of Americans struggling with the rising cost of living, personal finance guru Dave Ramsey believes he’s spotted the primary culprit: the cost of energy. “I don't know if people realize that 10% to 15% of the entire economy is energy and it weaves its tentacles through everything else,” the radio host told Donald Trump during an interview in 2024. “So $5 gas affects the bread truck [that’s] delivering the bread and that affects the cost of the bread then and so getting that plentiful changes everything.” President Trump agreed and promised Ramsey his administration would reduce energy prices by 50% within the first year of taking office. Several economists have raised similar concerns about the far-reaching impacts of energy prices, however, they’ve also expressed concerns about the Trump administration trade and tariff policies that may increase the cost of energy instead of reducing it.
Peter Schiff says Trump tariff stance 'all wrong'
Economist Peter Schiff, renowned for predicting the financial crisis of 2008, supported Donald Trump during the election season. However, right before Trump moved back into the White House, Schiff sounded the alarm about his approach to a critical issue for America: trade. At a press conference in Mar-a-Lago earlier this month, Trump addressed trade deficits with Canada and Europe, announcing plans to impose substantial tariffs to address the imbalance. While he reportedly won’t introduce the 25% across-the-board tariffs he’d discussed in his first few days in office, Trump doesn’t appear to have reversed his plans either with plans to launch a study of the proposal. Schiff, the chief economist and global strategist at Euro Pacific Asset Management, strongly disagrees with the president. “Trump’s take on trade deficits is all wrong,” he wrote on Instagram, sharing a clip from The Peter Schiff Show podcast where he elaborated on his critique. “[Trump] said we have a huge trade deficit with Canada as if somehow that’s harming the United States — it’s actually helping the United States. It’s unfortunate that we’re not productive enough to get by without all those Canadian products,” Schiff explained. “Donald Trump specifically said we don’t need any Canadian cars, we don’t need any Canadian timber — of course we do! I mean, we build houses, we drive cars. I mean, if we didn’t have access to Canadian lumber or Canadian cars or any of the other things that we import from Canada — America imports a lot of stuff from Canada — what does Donald Trump think would happen to the price of all that stuff? It would go way up,” he argued. America imports a significant volume of goods from Canada — and it’s not limited to timber and cars. The list also includes crude oil, petroleum products, natural gas, and electricity, among others. Schiff also criticized Trump’s perspective on trade deficits with Europe, pointing out that America depends on European goods as well.
Economist Peter Schiff, renowned for predicting the financial crisis of 2008, supported Donald Trump during the election season. However, right before Trump moved back into the White House, Schiff sounded the alarm about his approach to a critical issue for America: trade. At a press conference in Mar-a-Lago earlier this month, Trump addressed trade deficits with Canada and Europe, announcing plans to impose substantial tariffs to address the imbalance. While he reportedly won’t introduce the 25% across-the-board tariffs he’d discussed in his first few days in office, Trump doesn’t appear to have reversed his plans either with plans to launch a study of the proposal. Schiff, the chief economist and global strategist at Euro Pacific Asset Management, strongly disagrees with the president. “Trump’s take on trade deficits is all wrong,” he wrote on Instagram, sharing a clip from The Peter Schiff Show podcast where he elaborated on his critique. “[Trump] said we have a huge trade deficit with Canada as if somehow that’s harming the United States — it’s actually helping the United States. It’s unfortunate that we’re not productive enough to get by without all those Canadian products,” Schiff explained. “Donald Trump specifically said we don’t need any Canadian cars, we don’t need any Canadian timber — of course we do! I mean, we build houses, we drive cars. I mean, if we didn’t have access to Canadian lumber or Canadian cars or any of the other things that we import from Canada — America imports a lot of stuff from Canada — what does Donald Trump think would happen to the price of all that stuff? It would go way up,” he argued. America imports a significant volume of goods from Canada — and it’s not limited to timber and cars. The list also includes crude oil, petroleum products, natural gas, and electricity, among others. Schiff also criticized Trump’s perspective on trade deficits with Europe, pointing out that America depends on European goods as well.
Watchdog: Trump plan will drain Social Security
Being able to retire comfortably is a top concern for many older Americans. A recent AARP survey found that 61% of Americans aged 50+ are worried that they will not have enough savings when they retire. Social Security, a cornerstone of American retirement ideals, was a central election issue for voters in the recent election, when Donald Trump proclaimed, “Seniors should not pay taxes on Social Security” on Truth Social. That promise could become reality now that Trump is back in the White House. However, those taxes currently help fund the program's revenue and are crucial for retiree payouts. Removing them would create a significant shortfall, potentially affecting the program's long-term sustainability. The U.S. Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) estimates Trump's plans would lead to a 33% cut in benefits by 2035. Whatever happens during the second Trump administration, Americans will be looking to strengthen their retirement savings to ensure they can comfortably bounce back if the country's retiree safety net starts to unravel.
Being able to retire comfortably is a top concern for many older Americans. A recent AARP survey found that 61% of Americans aged 50+ are worried that they will not have enough savings when they retire. Social Security, a cornerstone of American retirement ideals, was a central election issue for voters in the recent election, when Donald Trump proclaimed, “Seniors should not pay taxes on Social Security” on Truth Social. That promise could become reality now that Trump is back in the White House. However, those taxes currently help fund the program's revenue and are crucial for retiree payouts. Removing them would create a significant shortfall, potentially affecting the program's long-term sustainability. The U.S. Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) estimates Trump's plans would lead to a 33% cut in benefits by 2035. Whatever happens during the second Trump administration, Americans will be looking to strengthen their retirement savings to ensure they can comfortably bounce back if the country's retiree safety net starts to unravel.
Wire transfer scams cost Pennsylvania man $70,000
The first scam that cost Ed Hayduk of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, most of his life savings started with a simple text message. The text appeared to be meant for someone else, Hayduk told CBS Philadelphia, but instead of ignoring it he decided to reply. They texted back and forth for nearly a week, he says, before the scammer asked if he was interested in investing in cryptocurrencies. "It was all just friendly, and it seemed real," Hayduk said. "It seemed like, well all right, I don't have my money invested in anything to earn real money so let's give it a try. And then the money went up quickly." He says the crypto scammer kept him on the hook long enough to snag $50,000 before disappearing. That amount represented a majority of his life savings — the rest of which he lost in a romance scam shortly afterward, another $20,000. All in all, Hayduk sent two different scammers $70,000 through wire transfers, a type of scheme experts say is particularly difficult to recover money from. Now, he wants to help prevent others from falling into the same trap.
The first scam that cost Ed Hayduk of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, most of his life savings started with a simple text message. The text appeared to be meant for someone else, Hayduk told CBS Philadelphia, but instead of ignoring it he decided to reply. They texted back and forth for nearly a week, he says, before the scammer asked if he was interested in investing in cryptocurrencies. "It was all just friendly, and it seemed real," Hayduk said. "It seemed like, well all right, I don't have my money invested in anything to earn real money so let's give it a try. And then the money went up quickly." He says the crypto scammer kept him on the hook long enough to snag $50,000 before disappearing. That amount represented a majority of his life savings — the rest of which he lost in a romance scam shortly afterward, another $20,000. All in all, Hayduk sent two different scammers $70,000 through wire transfers, a type of scheme experts say is particularly difficult to recover money from. Now, he wants to help prevent others from falling into the same trap.
Denver woman fights bank for $7K refund after scam
Denver resident Megan Holt thought she was being financially smart when she opened a high-yield savings account with SoFi. She used the account strictly for savings — not transactions. But one day, her phone rang. It was SoFi, alerting her to suspicious activity. At first, she assumed the bank would protect her savings. Instead, she learned that nearly $7,400 had vanished overnight. “They [the scammers] had done 19 transactions between $100 and $900 — almost every day,” Holt told 9News. “They just took it.” Her total loss was $7,363. The transactions were all friend-to-friend transfers sent to a person she had never heard of. Holt immediately disputed the charges, expecting the bank to protect her. Instead, SoFi told her the transactions appeared legitimate.
Denver resident Megan Holt thought she was being financially smart when she opened a high-yield savings account with SoFi. She used the account strictly for savings — not transactions. But one day, her phone rang. It was SoFi, alerting her to suspicious activity. At first, she assumed the bank would protect her savings. Instead, she learned that nearly $7,400 had vanished overnight. “They [the scammers] had done 19 transactions between $100 and $900 — almost every day,” Holt told 9News. “They just took it.” Her total loss was $7,363. The transactions were all friend-to-friend transfers sent to a person she had never heard of. Holt immediately disputed the charges, expecting the bank to protect her. Instead, SoFi told her the transactions appeared legitimate.
Kevin O'Leary backs Trump's plan to kill the penny
The U.S. penny has been in circulation for more than two centuries, but its time may soon be up after President Donald Trump directed the Treasury Department to halt production of the one-cent coin. “For far too long the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents. This is so wasteful!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “I have instructed my Secretary of the U.S. Treasury to stop producing new pennies. Let's rip the waste out of our great nation’s budget, even if it's a penny at a time.” “Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary agrees. “[Trump] is right — it’s stupid,” O’Leary stated in a recent Fox Business interview. “Why would you pay two cents for a commodity that's worth one? Who uses a penny anyways? Unless you're putting them in your loafers, and nobody does that anymore, get rid of it. It's useless.” The high production cost makes a compelling case. According to the U.S. Mint — the Treasury bureau responsible for producing the nation’s coinage — each penny cost 3.69 cents to produce in fiscal 2024, more than three times its face value. That led to an $85.3 million loss on penny production for the year.
The U.S. penny has been in circulation for more than two centuries, but its time may soon be up after President Donald Trump directed the Treasury Department to halt production of the one-cent coin. “For far too long the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents. This is so wasteful!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “I have instructed my Secretary of the U.S. Treasury to stop producing new pennies. Let's rip the waste out of our great nation’s budget, even if it's a penny at a time.” “Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary agrees. “[Trump] is right — it’s stupid,” O’Leary stated in a recent Fox Business interview. “Why would you pay two cents for a commodity that's worth one? Who uses a penny anyways? Unless you're putting them in your loafers, and nobody does that anymore, get rid of it. It's useless.” The high production cost makes a compelling case. According to the U.S. Mint — the Treasury bureau responsible for producing the nation’s coinage — each penny cost 3.69 cents to produce in fiscal 2024, more than three times its face value. That led to an $85.3 million loss on penny production for the year.
Thieves poach 100,000 eggs worth $40,000
Thieves made off with around 100,000 eggs — worth nearly $40,000 — after cracking open a distribution trailer in Greencastle, Pennsylvania, according to local authorities. The eggs were taken from a trailer at Pete & Gerry's Organics on the night of Feb. 1. An investigation has been opened. "We take this matter seriously and are committed to resolving it as quickly as possible," the egg producer said in a statement released to media outlets. The theft has drawn plenty of attention as the nation grapples with sky-high egg prices, which is putting pressure on consumers and business owners alike.
Thieves made off with around 100,000 eggs — worth nearly $40,000 — after cracking open a distribution trailer in Greencastle, Pennsylvania, according to local authorities. The eggs were taken from a trailer at Pete & Gerry's Organics on the night of Feb. 1. An investigation has been opened. "We take this matter seriously and are committed to resolving it as quickly as possible," the egg producer said in a statement released to media outlets. The theft has drawn plenty of attention as the nation grapples with sky-high egg prices, which is putting pressure on consumers and business owners alike.
$500 inhaler cost linked to young man's death
In January 2024, 22-year-old Cole Schmidtknecht went to Walgreens to fill a prescription for an asthma inhaler. He was told the price of the inhaler had increased from $66 to $539 out-of-pocket, reports CBS News. Unable to afford the cost, Schmidtknecht left the pharmacy without filling his prescription and tried to manage with just his rescue inhaler. Days later, he suffered a fatal asthma attack. His parents have now filed a lawsuit against both the pharmacy benefits-management company and Walgreens, claiming they are responsible for their son's death. The Schmidtknechts' lawsuit alleges that the benefits company, Optum RX, owned by UnitedHealth Group, violated Wisconsin law by increasing the prescription's cost without a valid medical reason and failing to provide 30 days’ notice of the price increase.
In January 2024, 22-year-old Cole Schmidtknecht went to Walgreens to fill a prescription for an asthma inhaler. He was told the price of the inhaler had increased from $66 to $539 out-of-pocket, reports CBS News. Unable to afford the cost, Schmidtknecht left the pharmacy without filling his prescription and tried to manage with just his rescue inhaler. Days later, he suffered a fatal asthma attack. His parents have now filed a lawsuit against both the pharmacy benefits-management company and Walgreens, claiming they are responsible for their son's death. The Schmidtknechts' lawsuit alleges that the benefits company, Optum RX, owned by UnitedHealth Group, violated Wisconsin law by increasing the prescription's cost without a valid medical reason and failing to provide 30 days’ notice of the price increase.
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