WGN Entertainment Reporter Dean Richards is sharing a delicious recipe for homemade eggnog. Homemade Eggnog Ingredients: Directions: Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a medium bowl until light and creamy. In a separate saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the cream, milk, nutmeg and salt. Stir often until mixture reaches a bare simmer. Add […]
Dean Richards
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BUYING IN BULK or shopping at wholesale retailers can help with managing spending and ensuring a fulfilling holiday. (Credit: Freestocks/Unsplash)
by Janet Currie
The AFRO
It’s hard to believe the holiday season is upon us, bringing both excitement and extra financial responsibilities. For many Maryland families, managing celebrations alongside everyday budgets can feel a bit heavier this year. According to Bank of America internal data, in 2025 nearly a quarter of all households are estimated to live paycheck to paycheck, making unexpected or extra costs challenging. A clear holiday financial plan helps prioritize what matters most, reduces stress and keeps the season enjoyable instead of overwhelming. In the spirit of the season, I’ve pulled together a few tips for embracing the festivities, without breaking the budget.
Make a List and Check it Twice
Proactive planning is key to avoiding holiday overspending. To ensure you’re sticking to your seasonal expenses, create a detailed budget that includes a maximum spending limit. If you tend to impulse shop, consider allocating a small buffer to stay on track. Then, integrate your holiday gift budget into monthly finances. The 50/30/20 rule (50 percent needs, 30 percent wants, 20 percent savings) is a great framework, and you can adjust these percentages as needed to comfortably cover holiday spending.
Pro-tip: More than half of consumers (52 percent) are buying gifts earlier this year to ease financial strain and avoid shipping delays. Start shopping early to spread expenses and snag promotions before prices rise. Focus on big-ticket items early, saving smaller purchases for later. You can also use price trackers tools to ensure that you’re getting the best deals.
JANET CURRIER is the president of Bank of America Greater Maryland. On the heels of massive job loss, rising costs and stagnant wages, Currie shares tips for staying on budget and having fun.
Consider Swapping Out Name Brands for Thoughtful “Dupes”
You don’t need to splurge on luxury to give a thoughtful gift. More than half of shoppers (51 percent), especially younger generations, would consider gifting “dupes” this holiday season—budget-friendly alternatives to high-end items. Just do a little research before you buy, so you can spot the best “bang for your bucks” and keep your holiday budget intact, without sacrificing the fun of giving.
Shop Smart at Discount and Wholesale Retailers
Big-box and dollar stores continue to be a go-to for many consumers, with 87 percent planning to shop at discount retailers this holiday season. These stores can be a goldmine for affordable gifts, decor and everyday essentials. Plan one or two “bulk shopping trips” this season and pay with a rewards card that earns extra points at wholesale or discount locations. This way you’ll stock up for less while earning rewards on every purchase.
Make Every Swipe Work Harder for You
The holiday season is the perfect time to supercharge your rewards. Start by mapping out your biggest holiday expenses. Will most of your purchases be online, at wholesale stores or spent dining out? Once you know where your dollars will go, choose a rewards card that matches those categories, so every purchase helps you earn more.
If your card offers flexible categories, like the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card, you can tailor your earnings to your spending plans. For example, if you are a new cardholder, take advantage of your first-year double cash back offer and earn 6 percent cash back (3 percent for existing cardholders) in a category of choice, such as online shopping, to maximize every gift order and delivery.
Set Spending Boundaries With Loved Ones
Holiday stress can often come from mismatched expectations, so it helps to talk about spending limits early. This year, 38 percent of people say they’ll only buy gifts for immediate family and close friends, and 23 percent have agreed with family members to scale back on gifts altogether. Agreeing on a budget cap, limiting who you are gifting to, or even focusing on shared experiences over physical gifts can make the season more enjoyable. Being upfront with your loved ones not only protects your wallet but also keeps the focus back on connection, not consumption.
Pro Tip: Look for deals on experiences. Experiences make the best gifts and with a little research, you can find great discounts on concerts, amusement parks or big games
With some planning, creativity and thoughtful choices, Maryland families can enjoy the holiday season without overspending. By focusing on what matters most, like time with loved ones, meaningful gifts, and simple celebrations—it’s possible to make the season both enjoyable and financially manageable.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the AFRO.
This post appeared first on The AFRO.
Atlanta Daily World
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Gold has reached unprecedented price levels at the end of 2025, breaking above $4,525 per ounce and setting fresh all-time highs as Bitcoin price continues to struggle. That surge has pushed gold’s total market capitalization to levels that dwarf the value of the world’s largest cryptocurrency. This difference between gold, the established safe-haven asset and Bitcoin, a growing digital store of value, invites a provocative question: if BTC’s total valuation equaled gold’s peak market cap, what price would BTC have to reach?
Gold’s rally in 2025 captured global attention as prices climbed past $4,500 per ounce for the first time, setting a new record that reflects more than just short-term speculation. Gold’s strength this year is not just about price per ounce. In market-cap terms, gold has added about $12 trillion in value since the start of 2025 alone. That single-year increase in gold’s market capitalization is around seven times larger than the entire Bitcoin market cap.
This recent all-time high price has helped boost gold’s total market capitalization to an estimated $31.1 trillion, based on the total value of above-ground gold stocks multiplied by the elevated price per ounce. Bitcoin’s market capitalization currently stands at $1.736 trillion, based on a circulating supply of just under 20 million BTC. Unlike gold, BTC’S total valuation has not increased this year. Instead, it has shrunk by roughly $100 billion since January 1, with its price now struggling in the mid-$80,000s.
Market Cap Of Gold And Bitcoin. Source: Companiemarketcap.com
Put simply, Bitcoin is only a small slice of gold’s valuation. At today’s levels, gold’s $31 trillion market cap means that Bitcoin fits into gold roughly 18 times over. This ratio is a good reference point for Bitcoin’s long-term growth potential, given its reputation as a digital version of gold.
If Bitcoin were to match gold’s $31 trillion market capitalization, the corresponding price per BTC would be considerably higher than current levels. Using a circulating supply of about 19.96 million BTC, BTC would need to push to approximately $1.55 million per coin to reach parity with gold’s current all-time-high market cap.
The amount of capital inflow needed for BTC to reach this price level is massive and unprecedented. Still, many Bitcoin maximalists believe this scenario is not unrealistic over an extended timeframe.
Michael Saylor, one of Bitcoin’s most vocal advocates, has proposed that BTC will eventually surpass gold in total market value within the next 10 years. In a November interview, Saylor said he has “no doubt” that BTC will become a larger asset class than gold by 2035.
It is obvious that 2025 is about to be a red year for Bitcoin and the entire crypto market. However, 2026 could play out as a recovery and normalization year. Recovery in this context does not imply explosive upside, but a period where bearish price action is worked off and confidence in BTC is rebuilt gradually.
Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com
Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.
Sandra White
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PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania —
Whether it’s an ornament at the bottom of the box, or a nutcracker collecting dust in the attic, hand-me-down decorations can find a new home thanks to one local high school student and his mom.
Grant Benedum and his mom, Christine, created a mission called, ‘Giving Garland,’ earlier this year.
They have partnered with Norwood-Fontbonne Academy and Our Mother of Consolation Catholic Church in Chestnut Hill to collect decorations from students, parishioners, and their families.
The result has been a roaring success so far. And they were already able to make a donation to ‘Women Against Abuse’ for a shelter in Philadelphia.
The family, who is from Glenside, will continue to accept donations through the end of January 2026.
To learn more about ‘Giving Garland,’ watch the video above and visit their website.
CCG
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Beyond the humongous stage, tense in-game stand-offs and hard-fought Winner Winner Chicken Dinners of PUBG United 2025 (the combined Global Championships for both PUBG MOBILE and PUBG) fans and players in the host city of Bangkok were reminded that PUBG MOBILE is more than a game; it’s also a platform where creators, artists and players can bring their ideas to life, contribute to the game’s creative ecosystem and receive recognition and rewards for their hard work.
For aspiring creators, WOW and PDP are more than platforms, they’re launchpads for ambition and imagination. This month, creators from around the world gathered at the PMGC in Bangkok, where 16 standout creators were celebrated on a global stage at the PUBG MOBILE Creative Vision Awards 2025, which recognises contributions across World of Wonder (WOW), PUBG MOBILE’s in-game creation platform, and the Ptopia Design Project (PDP), the platform of the game’s global design contests. If you’re interested in becoming a creator yourself, there’s good reason, thanks to the incentives from the WOW $10 million dollar prize pools and more across PDP contests – and with modern creator tools, a supportive community and a focus on accessibility, there’s virtually nothing to stop you.
Who better to learn from than the winner creators themselves; here’s what they have to say about their creative process, and how PUBG MOBILE provides them with creative freedom.
With over 5.4 million maps created and over 8.5 million peak daily players, WOW’s mobile UGC creation platform is undeniably huge, but that continued support had to start from somewhere. For creators of all kinds, it’s almost always making the first step that is the hardest. Whatever your motivation, with PUBG MOBILE, the gap between initial idea and active creation is designed to be small.
For Kuwait based ناايل؟, Creator of the Year for Best Story, it was “curiosity” and being “drawn to the feeling of turning a simple idea into something players can enjoy” that first sparked his interest in creating in WOW. Taking inspiration from his culture, environment and personal stories, it was the tools within WOW that enabled him to turn “complex ideas into clear systems without needing prior coding experience.” Paired with a design principle to create experiences that are clear and easy for players to understand, ناايل؟ has now been recognised as one of WOW’s top creators – an experience that is sure to boost his confidence as a creator.
Speaking on how creating for WOW has impacted him he said: “Seeing players enjoy my work made me realize that I have real creative potential. It also encouraged me to take creation more seriously and to keep improving my skills on a higher, more professional level.” His recommendation for players looking to create for PUBG MOBILE in WOW? Start simple, build small ideas first, explore the tools, and most crucially “experiment and learn from mistakes.”
Every creator needs to have an element of curiosity to get started, but for Creator of the Year: Best Scene Designer winner CaiCai, it was wanting to create triathlon challenges for their teammates where they could try, fail and laugh together, that sparked an interest in creating in WOW.
CaiCai’s background in design and architecture may have given the Australian creator an edge when it came to shaping and building maps, but its WOW’s suite of visual programming, AI supports and open logic tools that not only made the process possible, but also easy. Visual programming “expands the creative possibilities and greatly enhances interaction and flexibility within my maps” they said, noting also how “it removes many limits and truly empowers creators.”
It’s a sentiment that is also shared by Egyptian creator and winner of Creator of the Year for Best Stage Design Y O Y O, who praises the tools for their ease of use, saying, “the mix of visual programming, AI support, and open logic tools lets me build ideas exactly the way I imagine them. Instead of spending hours trying to translate an idea into code, I can see everything laid out clearly and make changes instantly.”
MURSHAD, who won Creator Of The Year for Best Creative Gameplay, similarly notes how WOW can turn ordinary players’ imagination into playable worlds through the platform’s accessible tools: “visual programming and AI support have made map creation much easier for me by allowing me to design and implement complex mechanics visually, without having to write extensive code. This makes the entire process more intuitive and efficient, enabling me to create better and more intricate maps with ease.”
NexusSPIKE, winner of the Popular Creator Award Winner for Arena – Themed Maps, echoes a similar ethos for aspiring creators, highlighting the importance of patience and originality in map design: “I would advise new creators to take their time in learning how to build maps. I would also advise creators to make original maps. While copying maps may seem like a quick way to get plays, it is not a sustainable practice.”
PDP empowers designers from around the world to create outfit, weapon and vehicle designs to be added to PUBG MOBILE. With over 13 diverse contests, a prize pool totalling $1,000,000, and 1,366 PDP winners in 2025 alone, there’s plenty of opportunities for creators to submit their designs and receive recognition, whether they’re professional designers or amateur artists.
For PDP creators such as Ariestrada, winner of the Best Outfit Design Silver Award, the open-themed contests are a chance to flex his creative muscles and create designs that players actually want. Ariestrada’s success started with winning an Outstanding Award in PDP in 2023 – since then he’s also received double awards, Silver and Bronze, in the first Ultimate Set Design contest, followed by a Gold Award in the third Ultimate Set Design Contest, plus two Best Design Awards and a Judges’ Choice Award in the PDP Fashion Icon contest.
How has he created so many winning ideas? For him it’s all about “keep[ing] an eye on trends outside the game and mix[ing] them with something unique to create something fresh.” His experience with the game has also been a crucial component. “I’ve played PUBG MOBILE a lot and followed their tournaments, which has helped me understand what works well in the game, what players want.” Based in Bali, Ariestrada also utilises PDP to bring elements of their traditional culture into their ideas whilst also leaning into their knowledge of PUBG MOBILE as “ players love sleek designs because they feel “light and fast,” so I always adapt to that style”.
What sets PUBG MOBILE’s WOW and PDP creative systems apart are their focus on giving creators financial incentives, rewarding creators and growing its community. Together, all of this works to ensure the imagination of players fuels PUBG MOBILE’s evolution, while still providing real-world rewards for contributors.
WOW creator ناايل؟ feels that the community visibility, contest rewards and financial incentives have “had a significant impact as a creator. They made me feel that my work has real value, pushed me to keep improving, and encouraged me to pursue bigger and more creative ideas.” Understandably, the feeling of seeing your work in-game and recognised by the community means a lot for ناايل؟ who says it gives a “strong motivation to keep growing”, while fellow creator CaiCai highlights how the financial rewards are encouraging “because they make me realise that creating isn’t just a hobby—it’s something that could potentially grow into a professional path”.
For this class of creators recognised at PMGC 2025 it was a chance to acknowledge the hard work and dedication they’ve given to their respective creative outlets – but creativity is an infinite resource, and there is always another project, map, or design to be working on. So what’s next for them, what do they hope to achieve and how do they plan on evolving as creators?
CaiCai has the noble goal of becoming a “more well-rounded creator with stronger gameplay design skills” by experimenting “with more detailed mechanisms and dynamic elements to make maps feel more alive.” Discussing what he wants design next, ناايل؟ is set on exploring “ideas that feel unique and push WOW’s tools to their limits” with a particular interest in more experimental styles “and unique gameplay concepts that haven’t been done before.”
PDP creator Ariestrada reflected on the importance of the community and how learning from “amazing artists” has helped him improve and grow. As for what he’ll explore next in PDP, he remarks “we already have many anime-themed outfits, and I’d love to create more anime styles with PDP, but with our own twist to it.”
For those looking to start their creative journey, PDP creator Mranderson, winner of the Best Creative Silver Award, only has words of encouragement. He began his creative journey as a traditional illustrator, but over time discovered a deeper passion for gaming as a world where he could merge his artistic talents with interactive storytelling. Through this fusion of art and gaming, his work has reached tens of millions of players across the globe, earning him widespread recognition and respect within the community. “Participating in PDP allowed me to fulfill a major dream in my life—seeing my creations featured in one of the world’s top tactical battle royale games, and experiencing the profound emotion of wearing outfits designed by myself in the game,” he reflects.
For all aspiring creators, he has a clear message: “I simply say: give it a try, seize this opportunity to be part of this incredible design project and this wonderful family of artists and friends from all over the world. And, why not, with your results in each competition, your consistency and dedication, you might even be invited at the end of the year to the PDP awards ceremony, which has been one of the most incredible experiences of my life.”
Download PUBG MOBILE and try WOW and PDP for free via the App Store and Google Play Store. Also make sure you follow the WOW social channels on Instagram, Tiktok, and YouTube, PDP social channels on Instagram, X, and TikTok, and PUBG MOBILE social channels on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube to stay up to date and learn more about WOW and PDP’s creator programmes, contests and toolsets.
George Forsyth-Nash
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🔃 Update: More people are seeing this offer in their accounts with new expiration date. Must add by 1/15/26 and make your second payment by 3/1/26. (HT: Johnson)
Chase is targeting some cardholders with a new offer that can save you $50 on your T-Mobile bill. This time around you need to pay two bills of $50+ each in order to get the discount. The offer is showing up on some most cards, so check your accounts now if you are interested and save the offer. Let’s go over the details below.
Chase Offers are available on Chase credit cards and debit cards. With these offers, you usually get cashback when you use your eligible Chase card to shop at a participating store. You can see your offers in the Chase app or in your account online. Here are a few things worth noting about these offers:
This is still a nice offer for savings on your T-Mobile bill. This time around you need to make two payments of $50 or more to get a $50 credit.
Check your accounts at Chase and other banks and add the offer on as many cards as you have it.
You can find more Chase Offers here.
Use the social media buttons below to share this article. Your support and engagement is always greatly appreciated.
DDG
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Peter Criss pushed back against claims that he’s asking fans to pay $1,000 for a download of his latest solo album. The former KISS drummer addressed the uproar on Monday after his Bandcamp page listed the file at that steep price. Vinyl was $32.98. The compact disc was $14.98. Flatiron Recordings manages the Bandcamp account, not Criss.
“Bandcamp had become an issue, and I had requested Flatiron Recordings to disable the account associated with my records before the release day of my new record on Dec. 19, 2025,” he wrote on his website. “I am not in control of the Bandcamp account. Flatiron Recordings is.”
The musician said sorry for the mess. He told fans to look elsewhere to purchase his new rock record. “I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and for the misinformation and implication that I am charging $1,000 for a download of my new record — I am not,” Criss added.
This self-titled release is Criss’s first solo album since 2007’s One For All. That effort leaned into jazz and ballads. The new record returns to rock and roll.
Guest musicians appear throughout. Motley Crue guitarist John 5 contributes, bassist Billy Sheehan plays, and keyboardist Paul Shaffer adds his touch. The 11-track record dropped on Dec. 19, one day before Criss turned 80.
Criss told Antimusic that he isn’t the only KISS member with unusual pricing. Former lead guitarist Vinnie Vincent announced a new single called “Ride the Serpent” for $225 on Sunday. Vincent said he won’t ship orders until the single gets 1,000 orders.
The original KISS drummer departed in 1980. He returned for a reunion tour in the 1990s, and his last appearance was in 2004. Then, Eric Singer took over on drums. Criss sang lead on several KISS songs, including “Beth,” “Black Diamond,” and “Hard Luck Woman.”
Laura Adkins
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It’s a Christmas Eve tradition that has delighted parents and children across the U.S. for 70 years now: tracking Santa Claus as he circles the globe, with the help of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD. Follow a live updating map below as NORAD once again tracks Santa‘s journey from the North Pole to deliver gifts to children around the world.
NORAD updates its map in real time to show Santa’s locations on his trip around the world. The journey begins from the North Pole, and NORAD uses its expertise in satellite technology to track the route of Santa’s sleigh as it glides through the sky.
In addition to the live map on NORAD’s website, updates are being posted on the agency’s Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube pages.
Santa’s route began by taking him down the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean. He’s moving westward from there, with his first stops being in the South Pacific, New Zealand and Australia. Then he typically zigzags through Asia, Africa and Europe before making his way across the Atlantic Ocean to Canada, the U.S., Mexico, and Central and South America.
NORAD notes that his path can sometimes be unpredictable.
The experts at NORAD say Santa typically makes his stops between 9 p.m. and midnight on Christmas Eve, but the tracker can’t predict the specific time he’ll stop at an individual home.
“Only Santa know his route, which means we cannot predict where and when he will arrive at your house,” NORAD writes on its website. “We do, however, know from history that it appears he arrives only when children are asleep!”
NORAD, which is short for the North American Aerospace Defense Command, is a bi-national organization involving both the U.S. and Canada. It is headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, and its year-round mission is to defend North America “through aerospace warning, aerospace control, and maritime warning.”
NORAD’s technology includes the North Warning System, a powerful radar system with 49 installations across Alaska and northern Canada. NORAD also relies on satellites positioned 22,300 miles above the Earth with infrared sensors for detecting heat, and it has fighter jets at its disposal for patrolling and protecting its territory.
“Twenty-four-seven, 365 days a year, we’re monitoring the skies of North America for any airborne threats,” U.S. Air Force Col. Jason White told CBS News.
On Christmas Eve, that expertise is used for a more festive purpose.
Beginning early in the morning on Dec. 24, NORAD begins tracking Santa’s path from the North Pole and maps his journey as he delivers presents to children around the world. The NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center is staffed by uniformed personnel and civilian volunteers to answer phone calls and provide updates on Santa’s location.
You can call 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877 446-6723) to get a live update from one of the call center operators over the phone. Operators are available from 4 a.m. Mountain Time (6 a.m. Eastern) until midnight MT (2 a.m. ET).
“They logged 380,000 calls last Christmas Eve,” White said.
You can also check NORAD’s website, where updates are available in nine languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese and Korean.
NORAD has been tracking Santa’s Christmas Eve flights ever since the agency first formed in 1958. Its predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command, or CONAD, performed the same annual tracking duties for three years before that.
The tradition started in 1955 when a child accidentally called the CONAD Operations Center after seeing an advertisement in the newspaper that encouraged readers to call Santa.
“The individual that answered that phone didn’t want to disappoint the child on the other end, and just went with it. And it has turned into an annual, recurring Track Santa operation ever since,” White said.
NORAD says the program is made possible by volunteers and supported by funding from corporate sponsors.
Just three days before Christmas, a man shot and killed his wife, shot his 13-year-old stepdaughter and then shot and killed himself, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.PCSO is investigating the incident as a murder-suicide.Deputies responded to a home on Lemon Avenue in the Highland City area of Lakeland after receiving a 911 call around 11 p.m. The caller said her 12-year-old neighbor ran to her house and asked her to call 911 because his stepfather and mother were fighting, according to deputies. He told the woman his mom, Crystal, asked him to call 911 as the argument was escalating, PCSO said. Deputies arrived minutes later and said they located Crystal with a gunshot wound to the head. She was pronounced dead on the scene. PCSO also located a 13-year-old girl, the victim’s daughter, in her bedroom with two gunshot wounds. She was taken to the hospital, where she is in critical but stable condition. Deputies also found their 1-year-old daughter asleep in her crib, unharmed.Investigators determined 47-year-old Jason Kenney was in his shed when he decided to go back inside the house to watch the end of an NFL game in the living room, where his wife was. Crystal told him that she didn’t want to watch football, and an argument ensued, PCSO said.Deputies said she then shouted to her son, asking him to call 911, which is when he ran from the house and said he heard a single shot go off.Kenney fled the scene in his truck after shooting his wife. He called his sister, who is not in Florida, and told her he had done something bad, and he was not going to jail.Kenney told his sister she would “see it on the news.”After deputies found Kenney at his father’s home in Lake Wales, they told him to come outside. That’s when they heard a single gunshot, PCSO said.PCSO entered the shed on his father’s property to find Kenney had shot himself in the head. Kenney was pronounced dead at the scene. “Three days before Christmas, this man shot and killed his wife, shot his stepdaughter, and then shot and killed himself. This is horrific, but destroying a family and the mental health of these children so close to Christmas is especially horrific. We will do everything we can to help this family get through this difficult time,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.The 13-year-old remains in critical condition, and the other two children are with their grandparents.
Just three days before Christmas, a man shot and killed his wife, shot his 13-year-old stepdaughter and then shot and killed himself, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
PCSO is investigating the incident as a murder-suicide.
Deputies responded to a home on Lemon Avenue in the Highland City area of Lakeland after receiving a 911 call around 11 p.m.
The caller said her 12-year-old neighbor ran to her house and asked her to call 911 because his stepfather and mother were fighting, according to deputies.
He told the woman his mom, Crystal, asked him to call 911 as the argument was escalating, PCSO said.
Deputies arrived minutes later and said they located Crystal with a gunshot wound to the head. She was pronounced dead on the scene.
PCSO also located a 13-year-old girl, the victim’s daughter, in her bedroom with two gunshot wounds. She was taken to the hospital, where she is in critical but stable condition.
Deputies also found their 1-year-old daughter asleep in her crib, unharmed.
Investigators determined 47-year-old Jason Kenney was in his shed when he decided to go back inside the house to watch the end of an NFL game in the living room, where his wife was.
Crystal told him that she didn’t want to watch football, and an argument ensued, PCSO said.
Deputies said she then shouted to her son, asking him to call 911, which is when he ran from the house and said he heard a single shot go off.
Kenney fled the scene in his truck after shooting his wife. He called his sister, who is not in Florida, and told her he had done something bad, and he was not going to jail.
Kenney told his sister she would “see it on the news.”
After deputies found Kenney at his father’s home in Lake Wales, they told him to come outside. That’s when they heard a single gunshot, PCSO said.
PCSO entered the shed on his father’s property to find Kenney had shot himself in the head. Kenney was pronounced dead at the scene.
“Three days before Christmas, this man shot and killed his wife, shot his stepdaughter, and then shot and killed himself. This is horrific, but destroying a family and the mental health of these children so close to Christmas is especially horrific. We will do everything we can to help this family get through this difficult time,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
The 13-year-old remains in critical condition, and the other two children are with their grandparents.
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — The first of two powerful winter storms expected to bring high winds, rain, thunderstorms, and even possible tornadoes, reached the Bay Area Tuesday night.
The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning for coastal areas and a wind advisory for interior areas. Southerly winds of 30 to 40 mph are expected with gusts of up to 65 mph possible along the coast. Inland, southerly winds will range between 25 to 35 mph with 55 mph gusts possible.
A second system is due to move through the area later in the day Wednesday, stretching into Thursday’s Christmas holiday. The storms arrive on the heels of a massive power outage in San Francisco that, at its height, left 130,000 customers in the dark.
The storms bring concerns of more outages. PG&E has activated its Emergency Operations Center.
KRON4 News will bring you continual coverage of the Bay Area storms this week. Follow our live blog for the latest updates.
Alex Baker
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Trump administration trade officials said China should be punished for employing unfair tactics to dominate the semiconductor industry, but will wait 18 months to impose tariffs.
A U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) investigation concluded China’s targeting of semiconductors “for dominance is unreasonable and burdens or restricts US commerce and thus is actionable,” the agency said in a public notice posted Tuesday.
The current tariff level of zero will be increased “in 18 months on June 23, 2027 to a rate to be announced not fewer than 30 days prior to that date,” USTR said.
The public notice comes after a year-long investigation into China’s approach to the chip industry, undertaken through Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. Under that law, the U.S. president may impose country-based tariffs at a rate of his choosing if the U.S. Trade Representative finds that another country is engaging in unfair foreign trade practices.
“For decades, China has targeted the semiconductor industry for dominance and has employed increasingly aggressive and sweeping non-market policies and practices in pursuing dominance of the sector,” the public notice said.
Beijing said Wednesday it “firmly opposes” the move and accused Washington of abusing tariffs to “unreasonably suppress Chinese industries”.
This “disrupts the stability of the global supply chain, hinders the development of all countries’ semiconductor industries and harms others while hurting itself,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian.
“We urge the United States to quickly correct its erroneous practices,” Lin said at a regular press briefing.
USTR officials launched the probe in December 2024 in the final weeks of Joe Biden’s presidency, extending the initiative when President Trump took office in January.
Mr. Trump has been a prolific purveyor of tariffs, unveiling sector-specific levies on steel, autos and other items as well as broader measures to achieve a variety of policy objectives.
The White House has jousted with Beijing but reached a broad truce with China after a major escalation in the spring.
The USTR’s probe concluded that China’s policies have included “massive and persistent” state support of private actors and “wage-suppressing labor practices.”
The USTR did not respond to an AFP query on the reason for the 18-month timeframe on tariffs.
A sixth person has been found dead after a Mexican Navy plane carrying medical patients crashed into the waters of Galveston Bay in Texas on Monday afternoon, leaving only two survivors and killing a 2-year-old child, the Mexican Navy said.The body of a final unaccounted-for victim was found Tuesday as search-and-rescue teams scoured the foggy bay waters for a second day, the agency said in a statement.Eight people were on board the plane – four Naval crew members and four civilians, the Mexican Navy confirmed. The plane had been transporting burn patients, Galveston County Sheriff Jimmy Fullen told KPRC.Two people who were recovered alive on Monday are in stable condition, the Mexican Navy said. One woman was pulled from the wreckage by a local man who waded into the water before first responders arrived, driven by instinct and his own experience as a plane crash survivor.Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum offered her condolences to the families of the passengers and sailors onboard the plane at a news conference Tuesday.Sheinbaum said her government will investigate the cause of the crash, noting, “There were about 10 minutes during which communication with the aircraft was lost.”Officials had assumed the plane had landed, she said. It was only later that her government learned of the accident.“Until the black box is recovered and analyzed, it will not be possible to know the cause of the crash,” Sheinbaum said.The incident holds striking similarities to another plane crash earlier this year, in which an air ambulance carrying six Mexican nationals — including a child who came to the U.S. for critical medical treatment — careened into a Philadelphia neighborhood shortly after takeoff. The fiery crash left no survivors and engulfed homes and vehicles, killing a couple whose car went up in flames.Childhood crash survivor pulls a woman from the wreckageSky Decker, a local yacht captain and childhood plane crash survivor, told CNN he jumped in to rescue a woman trapped in the debris before divers had arrived on scene.“Everyone was just waiting for divers to arrive. And I thought if there’s a woman alive in that plane, she’s not going to be alive for long,” he told CNN. “It was critical to get her out of there.”Inside the wreckage, Decker found a woman who was surviving by breathing in a pocket of air just inches from the roof of the plane.“It was hard to believe that there could (be) any possibility that anybody could be alive in that wreckage,” Decker said on CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper.”When he saw her inside, he said, “it was just unbelievable.”He went back through the debris and pulled out the body of a man who was already dead, he said.Decker, whose mother was Mexican, said he was initially the only person at the scene who could speak Spanish and console the surviving woman.Decker said he was tormented by dreams about plane crashes for years after he survived the crash of his father’s plane when he was 10 years old. He said the traumatic accident had a “huge impact” on him.“Oddly, it almost seems like it fits in with my life in some strange way,” he said of the crash.The woman he rescued is “doing much better,” Decker said. “I hope to meet with her at some point. I hope I can console her in some way.”The aircraft, a small twin turbo plane, took off from Mérida, the capital of the Mexican state of Yucatán, and was headed for Galveston Scholes International Airport, which lies about 50 miles southeast of Houston, according to data from FlightRadar24.Mexico’s Navy said the plane was helping with a medical mission in coordination with the Michou and Mau Foundation, which provides emergency transports to children with life-threatening burns to Shriners Children’s hospital in Galveston, according to the nonprofit’s website.A statement from Mexico’s Navy shared on X said the plane had an “incident” during its approach to Galveston, but did not elaborate.NTSB launches an investigationThe National Transportation Safety Board has also opened an investigation into the crash.In a statement shared with CNN Tuesday, a spokesperson for the agency said the first step will be to recover the plane from Galveston Bay, “which could take a week or more to complete.”The investigation will focus on three areas, the agency said — the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment.Throughout the investigation, the agency will gather information, including recordings of any air traffic control communications, maintenance records and flight tracking data.Investigators will issue a preliminary report into their findings within 30 days of the incident, the spokesperson said.CNN also reached out to the FAA, which referred requests for comment to the US Coast Guard. In a statement following the crash, the Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston said the cause of the crash is under investigation.Foggy island coastline had ‘zero visibility,’ witness saysBilly Howell, who works at Galveston Bait and Tackle, told KTRK there was “literally zero visibility” at the time of the crash, adding it is not uncommon near the island, where foggy conditions can roll in within minutes.“As the sea fog goes and the wind blows and changes directions, the fog does get a lot more dense,” Howell said.When the Coast Guard received a report of the crash around 3:17 p.m., a blanket of fog and mist had reduced visibility to just a quarter mile near Galveston and Scholes Field, NOAA data shows.“It looked like it would be impossible for anybody to survive. The plane was almost completely underwater,” Decker told CNN.Wildly fluctuating fog conditions may also have complicated the search for the remaining person.Visibility remained very low Monday night as Coast Guard vessels, a dive team, crime scene unit, drones and police patrols scoured the area. During the search Tuesday, visibility ranged widely from about a quarter mile to up to 10 miles.Officials from the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are on scene assisting the investigation, the Texas Department of Safety said in a post on X.Mexico’s Navy said in a post on social media it extends “its deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this tragic accident.” It said it is coordinating with the Mexican Consulate in Houston. CNN has reached out for more information.The Michou and Mau Foundation also said in a post on X, “We express our deepest solidarity with the families in light of these events. We share their grief with respect and compassion, honoring their memory and reaffirming our commitment to providing humane, sensitive, and dignified care to children with burns.”
A sixth person has been found dead after a Mexican Navy plane carrying medical patients crashed into the waters of Galveston Bay in Texas on Monday afternoon, leaving only two survivors and killing a 2-year-old child, the Mexican Navy said.
The body of a final unaccounted-for victim was found Tuesday as search-and-rescue teams scoured the foggy bay waters for a second day, the agency said in a statement.
Eight people were on board the plane – four Naval crew members and four civilians, the Mexican Navy confirmed. The plane had been transporting burn patients, Galveston County Sheriff Jimmy Fullen told KPRC.
Two people who were recovered alive on Monday are in stable condition, the Mexican Navy said. One woman was pulled from the wreckage by a local man who waded into the water before first responders arrived, driven by instinct and his own experience as a plane crash survivor.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum offered her condolences to the families of the passengers and sailors onboard the plane at a news conference Tuesday.
Sheinbaum said her government will investigate the cause of the crash, noting, “There were about 10 minutes during which communication with the aircraft was lost.”
Officials had assumed the plane had landed, she said. It was only later that her government learned of the accident.
“Until the black box is recovered and analyzed, it will not be possible to know the cause of the crash,” Sheinbaum said.
The incident holds striking similarities to another plane crash earlier this year, in which an air ambulance carrying six Mexican nationals — including a child who came to the U.S. for critical medical treatment — careened into a Philadelphia neighborhood shortly after takeoff. The fiery crash left no survivors and engulfed homes and vehicles, killing a couple whose car went up in flames.
Sky Decker, a local yacht captain and childhood plane crash survivor, told CNN he jumped in to rescue a woman trapped in the debris before divers had arrived on scene.
“Everyone was just waiting for divers to arrive. And I thought if there’s a woman alive in that plane, she’s not going to be alive for long,” he told CNN. “It was critical to get her out of there.”
Inside the wreckage, Decker found a woman who was surviving by breathing in a pocket of air just inches from the roof of the plane.
“It was hard to believe that there could (be) any possibility that anybody could be alive in that wreckage,” Decker said on CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper.”
When he saw her inside, he said, “it was just unbelievable.”
He went back through the debris and pulled out the body of a man who was already dead, he said.
Decker, whose mother was Mexican, said he was initially the only person at the scene who could speak Spanish and console the surviving woman.
Decker said he was tormented by dreams about plane crashes for years after he survived the crash of his father’s plane when he was 10 years old. He said the traumatic accident had a “huge impact” on him.
“Oddly, it almost seems like it fits in with my life in some strange way,” he said of the crash.
The woman he rescued is “doing much better,” Decker said. “I hope to meet with her at some point. I hope I can console her in some way.”
The aircraft, a small twin turbo plane, took off from Mérida, the capital of the Mexican state of Yucatán, and was headed for Galveston Scholes International Airport, which lies about 50 miles southeast of Houston, according to data from FlightRadar24.
Mexico’s Navy said the plane was helping with a medical mission in coordination with the Michou and Mau Foundation, which provides emergency transports to children with life-threatening burns to Shriners Children’s hospital in Galveston, according to the nonprofit’s website.
A statement from Mexico’s Navy shared on X said the plane had an “incident” during its approach to Galveston, but did not elaborate.
The National Transportation Safety Board has also opened an investigation into the crash.
In a statement shared with CNN Tuesday, a spokesperson for the agency said the first step will be to recover the plane from Galveston Bay, “which could take a week or more to complete.”
The investigation will focus on three areas, the agency said — the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment.
Throughout the investigation, the agency will gather information, including recordings of any air traffic control communications, maintenance records and flight tracking data.
Investigators will issue a preliminary report into their findings within 30 days of the incident, the spokesperson said.
CNN also reached out to the FAA, which referred requests for comment to the US Coast Guard. In a statement following the crash, the Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston said the cause of the crash is under investigation.
Billy Howell, who works at Galveston Bait and Tackle, told KTRK there was “literally zero visibility” at the time of the crash, adding it is not uncommon near the island, where foggy conditions can roll in within minutes.
“As the sea fog goes and the wind blows and changes directions, the fog does get a lot more dense,” Howell said.
When the Coast Guard received a report of the crash around 3:17 p.m., a blanket of fog and mist had reduced visibility to just a quarter mile near Galveston and Scholes Field, NOAA data shows.
“It looked like it would be impossible for anybody to survive. The plane was almost completely underwater,” Decker told CNN.
Wildly fluctuating fog conditions may also have complicated the search for the remaining person.
Visibility remained very low Monday night as Coast Guard vessels, a dive team, crime scene unit, drones and police patrols scoured the area. During the search Tuesday, visibility ranged widely from about a quarter mile to up to 10 miles.
Officials from the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are on scene assisting the investigation, the Texas Department of Safety said in a post on X.
Mexico’s Navy said in a post on social media it extends “its deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this tragic accident.” It said it is coordinating with the Mexican Consulate in Houston. CNN has reached out for more information.
The Michou and Mau Foundation also said in a post on X, “We express our deepest solidarity with the families in light of these events. We share their grief with respect and compassion, honoring their memory and reaffirming our commitment to providing humane, sensitive, and dignified care to children with burns.”
One of Portland’s local game shops is getting national recognition.
Andrew Foran
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LONDON — European allies reacted with outrage Wednesday after the Trump administration sanctioned online safety campaigners accused of censoring “American viewpoints.”
The five people Secretary of State Marco Rubio banned from entering the United States include a former top European Union official and four high-profile activists against hate speech and disinformation on social media.
Rubio accused the five sanctioned figures of leading “organized efforts to coerce American platforms to censor, demonetize, and suppress American viewpoints they oppose.”
These “radical activists and weaponized NGOs have advanced censorship crackdowns by foreign states,” he added, using the acronym to refer to nongovernmental organizations. “The Trump administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.”
It marks a dramatic escalation of Washington’s war on what it sees as censorship from across the Atlantic. Europe has previously seen Vice President JD Vance berate its leaders over perceived failures on free speech.
For many on the continent and elsewhere, however, the move comes as an amplification of the Trump administration’s own crackdown on viewpoints that don’t align with its own.
The pushback from Washington also comes after European attempts to regulate American tech giants such as the Elon Musk-owned platform X, which was fined 120 million euros (around $140 million) by the European Union earlier this month for “breaching transparency obligations.”
The European Commission, which is the E.U.’s executive arm, as well as the German Justice Ministry and French President Emmanuel Macron all condemned the move.
Macron called it “intimidation and coercion aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty.”
The European Commission warned that “if needed, we will respond swiftly and decisively to defend our regulatory autonomy against unjustified measures,” while European Council President António Costa said that “such measures are unacceptable between allies, partners, and friends.”
The most high-profile figure given a visa ban was Thierry Breton, the European Commission’s former top technology regulator, described by the State Department as the “mastermind” of a landmark piece of legislation called the Digital Services Act.
Musk said back in 2022 that he supported the law, but began to change with the fine against X — the first under the new legal powers — which he called “bulls—.” He has also referred to Breton as a “tyrant of Europe,” while Rubio and JD Vance both condemned the fine.
“Is McCarthy’s witch hunt back?” Breton wrote on X, referring to the 1950s anti-communist campaign led by Republican Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy. “To our American friends: ‘Censorship isn’t where you think it is.’”
Also sanctioned was Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, which says it holds to account social media companies that “erode basic human rights and civil liberties by enabling the spread of online hate and disinformation.”
Sarah B. Rogers, the under secretary of state, called Ahmed a “key collaborator with the Biden administration’s effort to weaponize the government against U.S. citizens.”
Next on the list was Clare Melford, head of the Global Disinformation Index, a nonprofit organization based in the United Kingdom that tries to tackle disinformation. Rogers accused the group of using American “taxpayer money to exhort censorship and blacklisting of American speech and press.”
The State Department also sanctioned Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon, both co-leaders of the German nonprofit HateAid, whose mission statement is to “strengthen democracy in digital space” by providing legal support to victims of “digital violence.”
Hodenberg and Ballon told NBC News in a statement that this was “an act of repression by a government that is increasingly disregarding the rule of law and trying to silence its critics by any means necessary.”
They added: “We will not be intimidated by a government that uses accusations of censorship to silence those who stand up for human rights and freedom of expression.”
The Global Disinformation Index condemned the measures as an “authoritarian attack on free speech and an egregious act of government censorship.”
It added: “Only the bullies and petty fascists of the Trump administration could miss the irony of decrying “speech suppression” while using state power to silence critics engaging in protected speech.”
The French Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, alleged double standards between how the U.S. was treating its old European allies and its historical adversaries in Russia as it negotiates for peace in Ukraine.
“Hey @StateDept, did you know this guy you invited in Miami is an official from a country where American platforms are banned?” the ministry wrote on X. Beside the text was a photo of Kirill Dmitriev, envoy to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has just come back from diplomatic talks in Florida.
Putin’s regime has banned Facebook and Instagram and severely throttled other platforms such as X, formerly Twitter.
NBC News has reached out to the State Department for comment on the reactions, and contacted the Center for Countering Digital Hate for a response.
The sanctions are a new high watermark for the Trump administration’s war on what it calls European censorship. The White House has portrayed its actions as necessary to break the decadeslong liberal bias held by media and government elites, while for critics, it is an attempt to silence dissent and promote illiberal, often hate, speech online.
Last month, many in Europe were aghast when Trump’s national security strategy railed against the E.U. for undermining “political liberty and sovereignty,” adopting “migration policies that are transforming the continent,” and “creating strife, censorship of free speech and suppression of political opposition, cratering birthrates, and loss of national identities and self-confidence.”
Alexander Smith
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A journey far from the throne. #AKnightOfTheSevenKingdoms, a new #GOT series from George R.R. Martin, premieres January 18 …
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The fashion and beauty industries didn’t disappoint when it came to providing plenty of headlining news this year: The biggest story, no doubt, was the ongoing game of creative director musical chairs. While the rapid number of swaps and switch-ups across major luxury houses has been underway over …
Janelle Sessoms
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I’ve always wondered what it would be like to own a plug-in hybrid, and recently, fate handed me that opportunity. On a recent trip to Vancouver, I rented a 2024 Toyota Prius Prime for nearly two months — the ideal scenario to try out North America’s most popular PHEV.
Previously, the words “Prius” and “sexy” were rarely used in the same sentence. However, I think the wedge-shaped Prius Prime introduced for 2023 is much sexier than its frumpy predecessors. The sleek shape also pierces the wind better to improve efficiency. It’s lower to the ground than before, though, which can make entry tough for taller or older people.
I was comfortable in the Prius Prime once seated, even though the materials and options aren’t quite as luxurious as other PHEVs sold in the US. On two 10-hour highway drives up to northern Canada I never felt sore (or cold) in the well-bolstered, heated seats. However, visibility wasn’t the greatest due to the low seating position and thick front pillars that occasionally blocked my view of traffic.
Steve Dent for Engadget
With its wraparound dash and 8-inch touchscreen, the interior is reasonably high-tech but not to the standard of some EVs I’ve tried recently. It came with wireless CarPlay and Android Auto support that gave me seamless streaming entertainment on long highway stretches. The driver safety features (lanekeeping, adaptive cruise, automatic braking and more) also boosted my confidence in Vancouver’s gnarly traffic. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer true one-pedal implementation, but it has a mode that’s close to that.
With a two-liter 150 HP gas motor and 161 HP electric motor (net 220 HP combined), the 2024 (fifth generation) Prius Prime has a whopping 100 more horsepower than the previous model. The electric drivetrain is supplied by a 13.6kWh battery (10.9kWH usable) that takes four hours to charge at 240 volts, or double that with 120-volt household electricity. That means you can juice it fully overnight, but it doesn’t have DC fast-charging for speedy power-ups on longer trips. The EPA electric range is 44 miles, 19 more than the fourth-gen Prius.
It accelerated surprisingly well (from 0 to 60mph in 6.7 seconds) and was agile, but had a fair amount of body roll since it’s not designed for the race track. Still, considering the Prius’s reputation as a staid hippie econobox, the new model was downright sporty. I enjoyed driving in the all-electric mode much more than the hybrid mode, though — it was quieter and smoother, with lower noise levels and vibration.
So, how far was I able to drive on that electric motor alone? On the highway at about 65 MPH, I eked out 30 miles and just over 40 miles in the city. On one trip, I drove from the city center to a suburb 30 miles away and made it there and partially back on a full charge. On another voyage, I was able to drive back and forth between the east- and west-most points of Vancouver (13 miles) — a typical commute for many city-dwellers — with about a quarter charge to spare.
Steve Dent for Engadget
With consistent charging, my fuel consumption over a two week period (averaging 25 miles per day) was about a quarter of a tank or around $7.50. In terms of electricity, I used nearly 70.5kWh during that time at $.085/kWh, for a total of $6. All told, I spent $13.50 for gas and electricity over 350 miles of mixed driving, so the Prius Prime was clearly cheap to operate.
For longer trips, it’s still as inexpensive as it gets for a gasoline-powered vehicle, thanks to the efficient ICE motor and hybrid system that’s among the best in the industry. With a full battery charge and tank, I set out on a 547-mile drive and travelled 470 miles before stopping for gas, with a quarter tank to spare. That fill-up cost around $25.
The timing for my test of this car was ideal. In October, I spotted a European study concluding that PHEVs aren’t as economical as expected over a large sample size. Engadget’s article about that stirred up some passion among owners and potential buyers, so I wanted to compare my experience with points in the study.
First, let’s see if a PHEV is worth the extra money compared to a regular hybrid. My calculations are for the average US buyer and don’t take state or federal clean air rebates into account.
When I chose to rent a “compact” car, Avis assigned me a mid-range Prius Prime XSE — a model that lists at $37,320 but typically sells for $34,590, according to Edmunds. That suited me well as it only lacked a few features of the high-end XSE Premium, notably the larger 13.2-inch infotainment display and solar roof option. A fully equipped 2026 XSE Premium model with those features costs $41,665.
Steve Dent for Engadget
Since Toyota also makes a regular hybrid Prius, that vehicle offers an ideal comparison. The equivalent Prius XTE model has a list price of $31,995 in a similar configuration, making it $5,325 cheaper than the Prius Prime XSE.
The average US driver covers 13,662 miles per year and gasoline currently has a median $3 per gallon price. Over that distance, a non-PHEV Prius driver could expect to burn 273 gallons at 50 MPG (EPA combined) in a year, spending $819 on fuel.
A Prius Prime driver, on the other hand, would use 70 to 85 percent less fuel by current EPA or WLPT estimates. If we generously take the high end of those numbers at 85 percent, that cuts fuel costs to $160. That would require using about 2,500 kWh of electricity, though, so at an average US price of $0.18/kWh, that amounts to $450, for a total of $610 (gas plus electricity). That means you’d save just $209 in a year, or $2,090.00 over 10 years — not enough to justify the extra price. (Fuel and electricity prices, usage and other factors vary by region and can have a big impact on those figures.)
It could be even worse than that, according to a European automotive thinktank called Transport & Environment (T&E). After gathering real-world OBFCM data from 800,000 vehicles, they determined that PHEVs only run in all-electric mode 27 percent of the time, rather than 84 percent as estimated by Europe’s WLPT standard. As a result, plug-in hybrids in Europe emit five times more emissions and cost users €500 ($586) more per year than previously thought. Those figures are likely similar in the US.
Steve Dent for Engadget
How could regulators be so wrong about this key data? The first, obvious reason is that they underestimated how often people charge their vehicles. With their relatively short range, plug-in hybrids often need a full charge to get through the day in electric-only mode — but many people aren’t doing that.
Why? One reason may be a lack of easy charger access away from home. I found them to be difficult to find and use, often requiring a sign-up or app rather than just letting me tap a credit card (I’m looking at you, ChargePoint, Flo and Switch Energy). It can also be more expensive than just buying gasoline, since many companies charge triple or more the market rate for electricity. Another factor is that drivers of company or fleet PHEVs charge their vehicles less often than private owners.
There’s one additional and especially pernicious reason: The ICE engine often kicks in when PHEVs are supposedly running in all-electric mode, particularly with heavier sedans or SUVs. That’s because the electric motors alone aren’t powerful enough for maneuvers like passing.
Larger batteries can boost all-electric usage, but only to a point. Beyond 45 miles of range, emissions actually increase. The reason is simple: “Long-range PHEVs are the heaviest in the dataset, averaging 28 percent more mass and 33 percent more engine power than the group just below,” T&E wrote.
Steve Dent for Engadget
Overall, I enjoyed my time with the Prius Prime and found it to be fun, practical and cheap to drive. It’s the most economical PHEV because it has excellent electric range and enough power that the ICE engine rarely needs to kick in. At the same time, it offers the highest EPA mileage rating of any non-EV sold in North America. If I were in the market for a new vehicle, the Prius Prime would be high on my list.
However, I also learned that PHEVs aren’t reducing emissions or saving buyers as much as regulators and manufacturers have promised. Governments are to blame for much of that, as they overestimated all-electric use in PHEVs and failed to support the charging infrastructure needed to make them practical.
Responsibility also falls to automakers and buyers. Consumers want SUVs, but manufacturers aren’t making the electric motors in PHEVs powerful enough to run all the time in EV mode or offering fast DC charging. At the same time, drivers are failing to charge their vehicles consistently. Until those issues are solved, in my experience plug-in hybrids are a poor substitute for EVs in terms of emissions and a less economical choice than regular hybrids.
Steve Dent
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The artificial intelligence boom isn't cooling off — it's getting bigger, Bank of America analyst Vivek Arya contends.
While AI skeptics have pointed to eye-popping valuations as a reason to run, Arya said the industry is only at the "midpoint" of a decade-long transformation, and it's being led…
