A new report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) showed several issues with how student loan payments are being handled by service providers.

Some student loan servicers were automatically taking money from borrowers bank accounts even when they didnt consent to automatic payments.

There were other times when borrowers were charged multiple times per month for payments, the agency said.

Another issue the report highlighted was servicers having listed the wrong amount of money owed by a borrower.

RELATED STORY | 8 million student loan borrowers won't have to make payments until April

The government agency said student loan borrowers reported that it took months even years in some cases to receive a refund related to autopay errors.

Student borrowers continue to face lengthy delays and costly errors because of servicer failures, said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra in a statement. The CFPB is working to ensure there is greater accountability and improvements in the student loan system.

Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, who will become the first openly transgender member of Congress when she is sworn into office next year, said she's "not here to fight about bathrooms" and "will follow the rules" set for members of Congress even if she doesn't agree with them.

This comes after Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) introduced a resolution on Monday to "ban transgender women from using biological women's restrooms at the U.S. Capitol" and later told Scripps News she planned to file bills that would extend that ban to any property that uses public funds.

Mace said the resolution was targeted toward McBride, a transgender woman recently elected to represent Delaware, even though she will not be in the House for a couple of months.

RELATED STORY | Rep. Nancy Mace tells Scripps News her new bills would limit bathroom use for transgender people

House Speaker Mike Johnson issued a statement Wednesday after promising Mace her ban would be included in the House rules package. "All single-sex facilities in the Capitol and House Office Buildings such as restrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms are reserved for individuals of that biological sex," he said.

As the debate over anti-transgender bathroom bills continues, McBride said she's focused on the issues the people who elected her are facing and will follow any rules outlined by Johnson even if she disagrees with them.

RELATED STORY | Republican proposes restroom ban as first openly transgender member joins House

"This effort to distract from the real issues facing this country hasn't distracted me over the last several days, as I've remained hard at work preparing to represent the greatest state in the union come January," McBride said in a social media statement.

"Serving in the 119th Congress will be the honor of a lifetime and I continue to look forward to getting to know my future colleagues on both sides of the aisle," McBride said. "Each of us were sent here because voters saw something in us that they value."

Tom's of Maine's toothpaste was made with water that contained bacteria, according to a warning letter sent to the company from the Food and Drug Administration following an inspection earlier this year.

The FDA said, in addition to the bacteria-contaminated water used in "Toms Simply White Clean Mint Paste, the inspection unveiled bacterial growth in the company's "Wicked Cool! Anticavity Toothpaste" and a black mold-like substance found near water storage tanks.

The administration sent a warning letter to the company on Nov. 5 outlining the violations that were flagged during the visit to the facility in Sanford, Maine. Tom's of Maine is owned by Colgate-Palmolive.

RELATED STORY | USDA launches an internal investigation into the deadly Boar's Head outbreak

Tom's has 15 days to respond to the letter and explain how it plans to address the violations.

It is essential that your facility is in a good state of repair and sanitary conditions are maintained to protect drug products from potential routes of contamination, the FDA said.

Tom's told CNN it is working with the FDA to remedy the issues.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) said Tuesday it is monitoring a possible case of bird flu in a child.

The child reportedly had mild upper respiratory systems and is recovering at home in Alameda County. Officials said the child did not have any known contact with an infected animal, which is how most of the rare human cases have populated.

The department says no person-to-person spread of the virus has been detected in the state or in the U.S. and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate the cause of the positive test in the child.

RELATED STORY | Hospitalized Canadian teen prompting bird flu concerns in US

Additional testing on the child four days later came back negative, and showed the child was also positive for respiratory viruses that could be the cause of their cold and flu symptoms, the department said.

It's natural for people to be concerned, and we want to reinforce for parents, caregivers and families that based on the information and data we have, we don't think the child was infectious and no human-to-human spread of bird flu has been documented in any country for more than 15 years," said CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Toms Aragn in a statement.

In humans, bird flu symptoms include eye redness, cough, sore throat, trouble breathing, and fever.

When it comes to the holidays, traditions are everything. That's why people are expressing their disappointment in Coca-Cola's new holiday ad that has strayed from its usual content.

The beverage giant revealed a reboot of its 1995 classic "Holidays Are Coming" commercial that was made using artificial intelligence.

The advertisement features its famous animated polar bears along with AI-generated people and other wildlife. There are also AI-generated Coca-Cola trucks driving through winter wonderland in the ad.

RELATED STORY | Video game actors take on AI in Hollywood

But people on social media are sparking outrage on the play of the brand's traditional ad.

Some have called the commercial "scary," "soulless" and "uninspiring," and others said it was distasteful for the company to use AI technology to create the video instead of the work of artists.

However, there are some people who have argued that using AI was a smart way to get the ad across without all the work of a big production.

Influencers can help guide your decisions on everything from food to fashion and now news.

According to new data from the Pew Research Center, about 1 in 5 Americans get their news from influencers on social media. No, not organizations like Scripps News, but individual people.

Pew Research Center defined "news influencers" as people who regularly post about current events and civic issues on social media and have at least 100,000 followers on any platform. News influencers can be journalists who are or were affiliated with a news organization or independent content creators, Pew explained.

Most news influencers can be found on X, where Pew Research Center said 85% have a presence. Unfortunately, other studies have shown that's the platform where fake news and misinformation are most often spread.

RELATED STORY | X has more fake news than other social media platforms, EU reports

About 50% use Instagram and 44% are on YouTube, according to Pew's study.

Pew said a clear majority of news influencers are men and, although Republicans have long believed that social media sites censor conservative viewpoints, Pew said more news influencers explicitly present a politically right-leaning orientation than a left-leaning one (27% vs. 21%).

Most of these news influencers, 77%, do not have any affiliation or background with a news organization. However, 65% of Americans said news influencers have helped them better understand current events and civic issues.

RELATED STORY | Russia amplified hurricane disinformation to divide Americans, researchers find

A new survey from NerdWallet found that 21% of Americans have used a credit card to earn rewards despite having credit card debt.

This means those credit card rewards are likely getting canceled out by the interest of carrying a balance each month on your credit card.

The average interest rate on credit cards assessing interest is 23.37%, as of August 2024, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. So, for every $1,000 youre carrying on your credit card, its costing you around $234 a year, NerdWallet said.

The best way to reap the rewards offered by credit cards is by paying off the balance each month, so if you currently have credit card debt you should pause your spending and tackle that first.

RELATED STORY | New report finds Americans owe more than a trillion dollars on credit cards

If you currently have credit card debt, its a good idea to pause spending on cards until its paid off. The rewards math very likely wont work out in your favor anyway, and its easier to tackle your debt load if it doesnt continue to grow.

One tip NerdWallet recommends to avoid running up a balance too high to pay off each month is to not use a credit card for you tend to overspend on such as clothing, hobby supplies or dining out. Instead, NerdWallet said you should try using cash or debit to keep that budget category in check.

NerdWallet said its survey was conducted online by The Harris Poll in October among 2,090 U.S. adults ages 18 and older.

Autumn is the harvest season, but experts have said there are some things that are better left on the ground.

The leave your leaves movement is all about putting those rakes and blowers away and letting nature do what nature does. Leaves are rich in nutrients like potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus making them a great source of natural mulch and fertilizer.

David Mizejewski, a naturalist with the National Wildlife Federation, said removing leaves from your yard or garden deprives the area of nutrients while simultaneously destroying a wildlife habitat.

Fallen leaves offer a double benefit, Mizejewski said in a post on the organizations website. Leaves form a natural mulch that helps suppress weeds and fertilizes the soil as it breaks down. Why spend money on mulch and fertilizer when you can make your own?

RELATED STORY | Fall camping is surging in popularity and it's not just lower costs

Instead of raking them, shred your leaves to use as mulch in garden beds or combine them with grass clippings and other greenery to make compost.

Leaving the leaves isnt just adding to the vitality of your yard and garden its helping the whole environment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said leaves and other yard debris make up more than 13% of the nations solid waste, which comes out to 33 million tons a year.

According to Scripps News Grand Rapids, there's a similar "effort-saving" movement that will help make life easier in the spring. It's called "No Mow May, where homeowners are encouraged to wait until June to start mowing their lawns.

The latest tool in the U.S. Secret Service's arsenal: A robodog.

The protection agency is using robotic dogs made by Boston Dynamics to help patrol the grounds at President-elect Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.

The four-legged robots have been spotted patrolling the perimeter of the resort in Palm Beach, Florida a place Trump frequently visits and had an attempted assassination incident at in September.

RELATED STORY | Trump meets deputies who stopped suspect in apparent assassination attempt

The robotic dogs are not armed with weapons and can be remotely controlled or programmed to operate automatically.

Each one of the dogs' legs is marked with the warning, "DO NOT PET."

Beyonc will be coming to your home on Christmas Day...sort of.

Netflix announced the megastar will be performing during halftime of the NFL holiday matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans.

The singer and the streaming giant teased the news with a 25-second video clip posted to social media that shows Queen Bee standing on a car covered in red roses while catching a football.

RELATED STORY | Beyonc becomes most nominated artist in Grammy's history

The game will take place at the Texans home stadium in Houston, also known as the birthplace of Beyonc.

Netflix also teased that the performance will likely feature some guest appearances from artists featured on her recent Cowboy Carter album.

You will need a Netflix subscription to watch the game and her performance.

Two men were killed and a woman is fighting for their life after a man went on a violent stabbing spree in New York City Monday morning, according to the New York Police Department.

The incidents began shortly before 8:30 a.m. in Manhattan's 10th, 13th and 17th precincts, police said, and all appeared to be at random.

The first victim was a 36-year-old construction worker at his job site at 444 West 19th Street. Police said the 51-year-old suspect approached the victim and stabbed him in the abdomen before fleeing the scene. The victim was pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital shortly after arriving.

The second stabbing happened about two hours later at 500 East 30th Street. The 67-year-old victim was fishing when the suspect stabbed him multiple times in different parts of the body, police said. The victim was also pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital.

Police said the third and final attack occurred 30 minutes later just before 11 a.m. at East 42nd Street and First Avenue near the United Nations. The suspect stabbed a 36-year-old woman multiple times. She is in critical condition at New York Presbyterian Hospital, according to police.

The suspect was finally captured and taken into custody at East 46th Street and First Avenue after a cab driver witnessed the third stabbing and called the police. Two large kitchen knives covered in blood were recovered by police after he was arrested.

The suspect has eight prior arrests, including grand larceny. During a press conference, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said they are working to learn why the suspect was "on the streets."

"Our heart goes out to the families, goes out to other New Yorkers who observed such a terrible action. We will keep them in our prayer," said Adams.

One person has died and three dozen people have been sickened in connection to an E. coli outbreak in organic carrots, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

The affected carrots from Grimmway Farms in California whole and baby carrots in various sizes were sold under multiple brands including 365, Bunny Luv, Cal-Organic, Compliments, Full Circle, Good & Gather, GreenWise, Grimmway Farms, Marketside, Nature's Promise, O-Organic, President's Choice, Raley's, Simple Truth, Sprouts, Trader Joe's, Wegmans and Wholesome Pantry.

According to the recall notice, the carrots were available for purchase in stores approximately from August through the end of October.

They are no longer available for purchase but might still be in your refrigerators. The CDC said you should immediately toss them out, if so.

The carrots have been linked to 36 people sickened across 18 states. The CDC said 15 of those people have to be hospitalized.

RELATED STORY | McDonald's deadly E. coli outbreak has now sickened over 100 people

Symptoms from an E. coli infection typically start three to four days after ingesting the bacteria, but most people recover within a week. Those symptoms can include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody) and vomiting, the CDC said.

There are rare and severe cases in which the infection can develop into a condition called hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can lead to kidney failure, permanent health problems and even death.

If you have consumed the affected carrots and have any of the symptoms, the CDC said you should seek medical care immediately.

President-elect Donald Trump announced Saturday he has chosen the founder and CEO of Denver-based fossil fuel company Liberty Energy Chris Wright to lead the Department of Energy as secretary.

Wright is known as a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking, according to multiple outlets.

Trump said Wright would also serve as a member of the "newly-formed Council of National Energy."

"The Council of National Energy will consist of all Departments and Agencies involved in the permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation, transportation, of ALL forms of American Energy," said Trump in a statement. "This Council will oversee the path to U.S. ENERGY DOMINANCE by cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments across all sectors of the Economy, and by focusing on INNOVATION over longstanding, but totally unnecessary, regulation."

RELATED STORY | Trump says Karoline Leavitt will serve as White House Press Secretary

Wright will have to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as Secretary of Energy.

According to the biography provided by the president-elect, Wright received an undergrad degree in mechanical engineering from MIT before graduate work at the University of California Berkeley.

Prior to Liberty Energy, Wright's past experience included founding Pinnacle Technologies and serving as chairman of Stroud Energy.

Trump also announced Saturday that William Owen Scharf will serve as Assistant to the President and White House Staff Secretary.

Trump described Scharf as a "highly-skilled attorney" with an education from Harvard Law School and Princeton. His background includes serving as a federal prosecutor and clerking for two federal appeals court judges.

RELATED STORY | Here's who Trump has asked to join his administration

The first known case of clade I mpox in the U.S. was recently discovered in a person in California, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Saturday.

The individual had just traveled from Eastern Africa where there is an ongoing outbreak, the CDC said. They were treated shortly after returning to the U.S. at a local medical facility and released, according to the California Department of Public Health.

The person has since isolated at home, is not on treatment specific for mpox and symptoms are improving, according to the health agency.

The California Department of Public Health confirmed the case through lab testing after determining a plan of action based on the person's travel history and symptoms. Specimens are being sent to CDC for additional viral characterization and, the CDC said, it is working with the state to identify and follow up with potential contacts.

RELATED STORY | WHO grants first mpox vaccine approval to ramp up response to disease in Africa

According to the CDC, there are two types of mpox: clade I (with subclades Ia and Ib) and clade II (with subclades IIa and IIb; IIb caused the ongoing global outbreak.)

There's no way to tell which type of mpox someone has by looking at them. Outbreaks from the different subclades of mpox can have different characteristics, like who they affect, how theyre spread or how many deaths they cause, according to the CDC.

Although clade II mpox has been circulating in the U.S. since 2022, clade I mpox has never been reported in the U.S. before now, the CDC said. But the health agency said the risk to the public remains low.

People with mpox often get a rash that may be located on hands, feet, chest, face, mouth and/or near the genitals. The CDC said the incubation period is 317 days, and, during this time, a person does not have symptoms and may feel fine.

The CDC said you can protect yourself from mpox by:

Avoiding close contact with people who are sick with symptoms of mpox, including those with skin or genital lesions Avoiding contact with contaminated materials used by people who are sick (such as clothing, bedding, toothbrushes, sex toys, or materials used in healthcare settings) And if youre eligible, get both recommended doses of mpox vaccine

The CDC said it continues to work in Central and Eastern Africa to help stop mpox transmission at the source including laboratory training, supplies for diagnostic testing, training of frontline health and epidemiologic workers and other mitigation strategies.

Beloved, late actress Betty White will be honored with her own United States Postal Service Forever stamp, the agency announced Friday.

An icon of American television, Betty White (19222021) shared her wit and warmth with viewers for seven decades, USPS said in announcing the stamp. The comedic actor, who gained younger generations of fans as she entered her 90s, was also revered as a compassionate advocate for animals.

The stamp features a smiling photo of White based on a 2010 photograph by celebrity photographer Kwaku Alston.

The "Golden Girl" passed away at 99 years old in 2021, just a few weeks shy of her 100th birthday.

RELATED STORY | Mail carriers reach tentative contract with USPS that includes pay raises and air-conditioned trucks

In addition to White's special stamp, USPS gave a sneak peek at other stamps coming next year. There's no release date set for any of them.

The 48th stamp in the USPS's Black Heritage series will honor Allen Toussaint (19382015), the virtuoso pianist, singer, songwriter, composer, arranger and producer responsible for scores of hits across multiple genres.

There will be a line of 15 stamps depicting the century-old Appalachian National Scenic Trail, which covers almost 2,200 miles of footpath along 14 states. The stamps were designed with images from various photographers.

The sixth stamp in the current Lunar New Year series highlights the Year of the Snake. And there's a new "Love" stamp featuring the iconic artwork of artist Keith Haring.

Apple has launched a new feature that it said can help users find lost luggage and other items.

"Share Item Location" will be an option found in Apple users' "Find My" app, securely sharing the location of an AirTag or network accessory with third parties such as airlines.

The feature will generate a link to the item's location that can be shared from an iPhone, iPad or Mac. Recipients of the link will be taken to a website that will show the live location of the item on an interactive map.

RELATED STORY | New AI features unveiled with Apple's latest software update for iPhones, iPads and Macs

The new service will be integrated into the customer service process for locating mishandled or delayed bags with 15 carriers, Apple said, but more airlines will be added over time.

Apple said it has worked directly with the airlines to put safety systems in place, and access to each link will be limited to a small number of people. Recipients will also be required to authenticate in order to view the link through either their Apple Account or partner email address.

Find My is an essential tool for users around the world to keep track of and find their belongings, said Eddy Cue, Apples senior vice president of services, in a statement. The Find My network and AirTag have proven to be a powerful combination for users while traveling, providing invaluable location information when bags have been misplaced or mishandled. With Share Item Location, were excited to give users a new way to easily share this information directly with third parties like airlines, all while protecting their privacy.

The service was tested worldwide and will be available soon to all users in a new software update.

Some states might be able to see the northern lights on Tuesday night after a recent geomagnetic storm expanded the view line, according to the latest aurora forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Part of northern Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota have a chance of seeing the aurora borealis phenomenon on Tuesday.

Theres also a chance though lower for parts of Washington, northern Idaho, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine to view the lights based on NOAAs forecast map.

RELATED STORY | NASA says the sun is at its 'solar maximum'

Last month, NASA said the sun is at a point where its two poles have flipped contributing to more light shows here on Earth and increased visibility of the northern lights.

If the conditions are right, NOAA said the aurora can be seen as far as 621 miles away and does not need to be directly overhead.

Its recommended to go to a high vantage point away from light pollution to see the northern lights. Using your smartphone to photograph the northern lights may also help to see them better.

Amazon is developing a type of smart eyeglasses that can provide detailed directions to its delivery drivers to potentially shave time off of deliveries, according to a report from Reuters.

Reuters said it spoke with several people familiar with the project on the condition of anonymity because it is not public.

The smart glasses would provide turn-by-turn navigation and help drivers get around obstacles or warn them about things like an aggressive dog, Reuters reported.

RELATED STORY | Amazon launches 'no frills' private label grocery brand; Prime customers get discounts

It would allow the delivery drivers to be more hands-free without having to rely on GPS navigation through smartphones or other handheld devices, and could potentially shorten delivery time in the increasingly competitive world of e-commerce.

The development of these smart glasses could take years, the sources reportedly told Reuters.

RELATED STORY | Amazon expands same-day pharmacy delivery to include half of US

Smart glasses are becoming more popular in the world of wearable technology after companies like Ray-Ban and Meta partnered to release their own version that can do things like record videos, conduct phone calls and use artificial intelligence in real-time.

Former President Jimmy Carter could become the oldest Grammy award winner after receiving his 10th Grammy nomination for his latest spoken word album, Last Sundays in the Plains: A Centennial Celebration.

Carter turned 100 years old a month ago making him the longest-living president in U.S. history and the first to reach 100. Now, there's a new milestone he can achieve.

The album is nominated for a Grammy in the Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording category.

RELATED STORY | At age 100, Jimmy Carter fulfills wish to vote in 2024 presidential election

It features a rendition of America the Beautiful with Darius Rucker and Amazing Grace sung by LeAnn Rimes.

There are also recordings on the album of Carters final Sunday School lessons delivered at Maranatha Baptist Church in his hometown of Plains, Georgia.

Carter has won three Grammy awards for previous albums including Faith A Journey for All, A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety and Our Endangered Values: Americas Moral Crisis.

The 67th annual Grammy Awards will be held on Feb. 2, 2025.

Carter, who has been in hospice care since February 2023, celebrated his 100th birthday on Oct. 1.