Many of us have given in to the temptation to buy something we don’t need.
Maybe you were passively scrolling through your social media feed when a sponsored post came up, showcasing the latest tech gadget with glowing reviews. Unable to resist, you clicked the “buy” button for fear of missing out, only to find the excitement faded not long after, leaving you with regret and a dent in your bank account.
What is impulse buying?
Impulse buying is the act of making unplanned purchases on a whim without considering long-term goals and needs. From flashy tech to trendy fashion items, impulse purchases can quickly drain your bank account and hinder your long-term financial goals.
The temptation is further fueled by social media — 48% of social media users have made an impulse purchase, according to Bankrate’s Social Media Survey. And 68% of those said they regretted an impulse purchase they made on social media.
Coupled with the current high-inflation environment, succumbing to impulse purchases can have even more detrimental effects on our savings than usual. But there are ways you can curb impulsive spending habits and focus on more long-term financial goals.
Strategies to stop impulse buying
1. Reflect before purchasing
Getting into the habit of slowing down and reflecting before making an impulse buy can be a big money-saver.
Some questions you should ask yourself:
Is this item a want or a need?
Can I afford it without sacrificing something more important?
Will this bring long-term value and satisfaction?
2. Stick to a shopping list
Before heading to the store or browsing online, make a shopping list of items that you genuinely need. A shopping list provides a clear plan for your shopping trip, eliminating ambiguity and reducing the chances of being swayed by impulses. It also acts as a reminder of your goals and priorities.
You could try using a shopping list app which can help you organize your shopping lists and even share them with friends or family members to streamline your shopping process.
3. Implement the 24-hour rule
When you come across something you’re tempted to buy immediately, give yourself a cooling-off period of 24 hours. Why? The purpose of the 24-hour rule is to create a space between the initial impulse and the actual purchase — often, the initial excitement and compulsion to buy can fade after that time period. By waiting, you give yourself a chance to reconsider the purchase in a more neutral state of mind.
During those 24 hours, you can take the time to research the item’s features, read reviews, compare prices and consider if it aligns with your needs and budget.
4. Unfollow accounts that fuel your temptation
The constant stream of captivating images, flashy ads and influencers promoting products on social media can make it incredibly tempting to click that “buy now” button without a second thought. With just a swipe or a scroll, we’re exposed to a never-ending array of products and services, each promising to improve our lives in some way. But that promise can be deceiving and succumbing to the temptation can lead to financial stress and instability.
One big step you can take to help resist the siren call of impulse buys is to carefully curate your social media feed to prevent yourself from seeing those items in the first place. Unfollow brands and promoters that consistently tempt you. You might even want to remove certain shopping apps from your phone or set time limits for those that have the strongest pull on you. Even a few changes to your social media feed can reduce the constant exposure to shopping triggers and help you save money.
5. Prioritize clear financial goals for long-term gratification
Envision your ideal financial future, and set clear goals. Instead of simply saying you want to save money, set a specific target, such as saving $5,000 within the next year. Once you’ve established goals, you can fit them into your budget to align your spending with what you want to achieve in the long term.
It’s easy to give in to temporary pleasures when we’re surrounded by lures to buy stuff all the time, but reminding yourself of your financial goals and learning to wait can help you find long-term fulfillment. As you achieve smaller milestones toward your goals, reward yourself (within reason) to maintain a positive mindset and reinforce your commitment to the larger goals.
6. Pay with cash
Take the time to budget exactly how much you can spend on your purchases and withdraw cash to spend on those purchases. By using cash, you avoid overspending and impulse purchases.
If you’re used to paying with a card to rack up credit card points or cashback rewards, you’ll lose out on these benefits when you pay with cash. But once you start to gain more discipline by paying with cash, you might be able to transition back to responsible credit card use.
Be aware of signs of impulsive spending habits
The thrill of impulsive buying might not show up right away, but there are some signs to look out for, including:
You’re spending beyond your means or more than you intended during your purchase.
You hide purchases from family members or a partner.
You’re unable to pay bills or save as much as you’d like because of high spending elsewhere.
You feel guilty or regretful about spending.
Bottom line
By establishing clear financial goals and prioritizing your long-term needs over short-term impulse purchases, you can regain control of your finances and make decisions that support future aspirations. Keep track of how much you’ve saved from cutting back on impulse buying — those savings can go toward a specific savings fund or be invested in a high-yielding certificate of deposit (CD) to earn money back in the form of interest.
Key takeaways
Impulse buying means purchasing items you did not plan to buy.
Impulse buying can result in more spending which can lead to less savings and even an increase in debt.
There are steps you can take to reduce impulse buying, such as prioritizing financial goals and sticking to a shopping list.
LOS ANGELES — On a bench near the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market in July, Peggy Cheng recalled the time a television writer pitched her a wacky sitcom centered around the unlikely scenario of a young woman who had befriended her elderly neighbors.
Cheng, who was working in TV development at the time, wasn’t impressed.
“She thought it was so unique and I was like, ‘Hmm,’ ” said the 40-year-old Brentwood resident, laughing.
After all, the writer could have been describing Cheng’s life. Her best friend, Karen Letzkian, lives in the unit above hers and is 24 years her senior. They even had a meet-cute: A leaky toilet brought them together. But their difference in age has not stopped the two from being active participants in each other’s lives. Cheng spent months helping Letzkian plan her wedding. Letzkian picked Cheng up from the hospital after surgery. And they’re both always up for a last-minute trip to the local Ralph’s.
“I share everything with her,” Cheng said. “She’s one of the few friends who knows every facet of my life.”
Letzkian, a retired IT consultant, says the feeling is mutual. “Life is more fun when we’re together. I think that sums it up.”
As it turns out, age-gap friendships like Cheng and Letzkian’s may be more common than many of us think. A 2019 AARP survey found that nearly four in 10 adults have a close friend who is at least 15 years older or younger than they are. Even more are interested in cultivating these types of friendships. Nearly eight in 10 adults want to spend more time with people outside their age groups, according to a report from the Washington, D.C.-based organization Generations United.
Although research on the benefits of intergenerational friendships is nascent, several studies suggest that older adults who regularly interact with younger people experience less anxiety, depression and reduced cognitive decline than their more age-siloed peers. For younger folks, having friends outside their generation may help reduce both internal and external ageism, and address feelings of isolation and loneliness.
“From both sides there are individual level benefits that have the potential to improve health and well-being,” said Lauren Dunning, director of future of aging at the Milken Institute.
But ask those who are in age-gap friendships what they like about it, and chances are they’ll simply tell you they are in it for the enjoyment and pleasure of spending time with someone who “gets” them.
“There’s this exchange of ideas and knowledge, and this recognition that having fun is just as much a part of later life as it is for younger life,” said Catherine Elliott O’Dare, a professor in social policy at Trinity College in Dublin who studies the benefits of intergenerational friendships.
We spoke to six intergenerational friend groups in L.A. about how they met, what they do together and the benefits of their age difference.
Justin Beverly, 26, student. Jose Bautista, 73, retail worker. Nicholas Baraban, 33, retail worker
How did you meet?
Bautista: “We all used to work at the Hobby Lobby and these guys used to have beers after work. One day I invited myself along, but on one condition — we have to play [music].”
Favorite activities:
Playing music, going to the batting cage, open mic nights, barbecues.
What makes the friendship special?
Baraban: “I had a best friend who passed away — a bandmate. Jose helped me start playing with other people again. He was the first person I opened up to about playing out again.”
Bautista: “We’ve become best friends. I can rely on these guys for anything and I know they’ll come through. And me too. They can count on me for anything.”
Best part of being in an age-gap friendship?
Beverly: “Getting everyone’s perspective and point of view. People have more stories to tell from different times. It gives an interesting dynamic.”
Bautista: “I don’t feel an age difference with them. I don’t know how a 73-year-old is supposed to act.”
Baraban: “I don’t feel an age difference so much.”
Jeannine Bell, 69, retired high school teacher. Antoine Cason, 38, former NFL quarterback for the San Diego Chargers, recent college football referee
Friends Jeannine Ball, 69, left, and Antoine Cason, 38, sit in the bleachers of Lakewood High School’s football stadium in Lakewood. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times/TNS)
How did you meet?
Bell: “My son Josh was a waterboy for the football team at Los Alamitos High. Antoine walked past us before school one morning and says, ‘Hey J-Dub. How are you doing?’ I said, ‘Who was that?’ and he said, ‘That’s the nicest guy on the football team.”
Cason: “Then I took your photography class senior year and after I went to college I’d come back and see everyone and it just grew from there.”
Favorite activities:
Football activities, going to dinner, and spending time with mutual friends and each other’s families.
What makes the friendship special?
Bell: “He inspires me every time I see him. He lifts up people around him, his personality obviously, but also he cares about people. He gives back.”
Cason: “Every time I’m around her I feel the genuine love and care. She really cares. Sometimes you don’t feel that way around people. And my family loves her too.”
Best part of being in an age-gap friendship?
Bell: “I want to stay relevant for every day of my life. He helps me do that. And it’s not just the age difference. He is a different color than I am, a different culture. I love understanding that better. I can’t say I understand it totally but hopefully it makes me communicate better with everyone as a result of that.”
Cason: “For me — especially where I’ve been, what I’ve done — I feel safe with her. I like to stay as private as I can because everything I’ve done has been in the public. And I just feel safe. That’s very important.”
Flora Grewe, 4 ½, student. Mary Ota, 105, retired medical office worker
Flora Grewe, 4 1/2, hands her friend Mary Ota, 105, a handful of flowers in Carpinteria. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times/TNS)
How did you meet?
Ota: “Flora and her family lived at the end of the street where I used to go for a walk. I would sit on my walker and rest before turning around and she would come and bring me flowers. Then she started coming over and we just became friends. Now we get together a lot.”
Ota: “She is a sweet little girl, always smiling and just adorable. At first she was quite shy, but what was adorable is she would write notes and bring them to me. She would always smile when she brought me things, and even if they were just weeds, I would put them in water.”
Grewe: “I don’t even know! I just like her!”
Best part of being in an age-gap friendship?
Ota: “A friend like Flora keeps things lively. Young people are so full of life. And connecting with young people makes you recall when you were young and your children were young.”
Grewe: “She let me have two cupcakes at her birthday party. She’s nice.”
patricia smith 73, retired faculty support at UCLA, yoga teacher. Adam Fowler, 43, consultant
Patricia Smith, 74, and Adam Fowler, 43, sit outside Patricia’s apartment. (Zoe Cranfill/Los Angeles Times/TNS)
How did you meet?
Fowler: “I took a position in Global Economics and Management at UCLA while I was applying to PhD programs. The first day the person I was replacing warned me about the woman down the hall. I hadn’t been in Los Angeles terribly long and I was like, ‘Oh, God, I hope this isn’t a nightmare.’ But we just hit it off.”
smith: “He endeared me to him with the ‘Yes, ma’am.’ It reminded me of the way I was brought up. And his Southern accent was the cutest thing in the world.”
Favorite activities:
Picnics at the Hollywood Bowl, movie nights at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, talking on the phone, fixing up smith’s apartment.
What makes the friendship special?
Fowler: “She made it comfortable to grow as a human. I was from the boonies of Arkansas, trying to figure out who I was in terms of coming out as gay, pursuing a PhD from a family where I was already the first generation of college students, and this was a person who was so secure in who she was and kind and generous.”
smith: “He was always so freaking smart, but he was smart without being arrogant. That was one of the more endearing qualities I recognized in him right away.”
Best part of being in an age-gap friendship?
smith: “He helps me to stay young. He turns me onto stuff. When I don’t know what’s going on, I just call him and he sets me straight. He helps me to pay attention — not to mention that he does [stuff] for me. That’s priceless.”
Fowler: “It’s such a source of context and wisdom. Whenever you get spun up on something small in your own life, patricia can either help you laugh about it or put it in some broader context. And just everything she’s done, moving here from Chicago, things she’s been through, all of that is so very interesting. I’d say it’s the resilience for me.”
Marlo Wamsganz, left, 54, and Norma Hench, right, 83, have been friends for years. The pair like to swap books, plant clippings, hike and visit botanic gardens. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times/TNS)
How did you meet?
Wamsganz: “We were both living in Vermont and I was dating her partner Glenn’s son. The first time we met we were already walking around her gardens. Then I moved on from that relationship and Glenn passed away. We lost touch, not because we didn’t love each other, but because life goes on. “
Hench: “It took me a full year to get my act together after Glenn died and move to L.A. where my son lives. I flew from Vermont to JFK and, lo and behold, there’s Marlo!”
Wamsganz: “We were both relocating to L.A. and when we got on the plane I believe we were in the same row. I thought, ‘This is wild.’ “
Favorite activities:
Visiting botanic gardens, trying new foods, hiking in Malibu, visiting museums and swapping books.
What makes the friendship special?
Wamsganz: “Norma loves to learn new things, she’s up for anything, she’ll taste anything, and she also likes to dig deep into things. I love how positive she is and she speaks her mind. She’s very fair and believes in rights for all people. And she’s a great conversationalist.”
Hench: “I want to tell a story: We were crossing Ventura Boulevard — this big multi lane street, and right in the middle of the crosswalk there was a praying mantis. And without missing a beat, didn’t Marlo reach down and pick up this praying mantis and carry it with her across to the other side of the street and put it on the lawn? Now, doesn’t that speak volumes?”
Best part of being in an age-gap friendship?
Hench: “I never think about an age difference. I’m not even aware of that. Maybe I’m in denial.”
Wamsganz: “I don’t either. Although I do ask her some things. Like, how long do hot flashes go on?”
Peggy Cheng, 40, entrepreneur. Karen Lektzian, 64, retired IT consultant
Friends Peggy Cheng, 40, left, and Karen Lektzian, 64, shop at the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times/TNS)
How did you meet?
Cheng: “Her master toilet flooded my unit, and it was easier to go through my unit to fix it. I was working really long hours at that time, so I was just like, ‘Yup! OK! Bye!’ She was like, ‘Can I get you any gift cards or a dinner?’ and I was just like, ‘No! I don’t really expect to interact with you.’ “
Lektzian: “The remediation took three weeks, and over the course of those three weeks we had quite a few interactions, so we got to know each other a little bit. I invited her to dinner and with the proximity we started to run into each other more often and it was so easy to just say, ‘Want to pop up for a drink? Or, do you want to cook dinner tonight?’ “
Favorite activities?
Traveling, cooking, eating out, running errands.
What makes the friendship special?
Lektzian: “We just have so much fun together. It doesn’t matter what we’re doing. And we have so many common interests. It’s just so natural. Life is more fun with her.”
Cheng: “I like that I can share everything with her. She’s one of the few friends who knows every facet of my life. I can go to her for advice and if it’s serious she will just switch into that mode and then immediately we will have the giggles.”
What is the best part of being in an age-gap friendship?
Lektzian: “I don’t really notice when I’m with my friends my own age versus Peggy.”
Cheng: “I don’t feel it either. She’s equally energetic and way more fit than I am!”
Friends Justin Beverly, 26, Jose Bautista, 73, and Nicholas Baraban, 33, from left, hang out at Johnny Carson Park in Burbank, California, on July 24, 2024. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times/TNS)
The grieving process is long and difficult and at some point after losing a loved one, most people come to that place where they just wish they could have one more conversation with their dearly departed.
Clinton Township Senior Center Assistant Director Debbie Travis believes the new wind phone, which was expected to be installed and available for use by Aug. 21, will help people through the grieving process by allowing them to speak their feelings.
“The idea fits in so well with our center and all of the things that we do,” said Travis. “It is a therapeutic way to process grief.
“Pick up this phone and your message is going to go wherever you want it to go.”
The project is a collaboration between Dignity Memorial, Lowe’s store 1716 in Clinton Township, and Senior Center officials. Lowe’s tagged the wind phone and recent improvements at the bocce courts as a Lowe’s Hometown Community Project. Dignity Memorial sponsored the purchase of the phone, the bench and plaques that are displayed in the pergola.
Resurrection Cemetery sponsors a grief support group that meets at the Senior Center and the idea for the wind phone evolved in part from that group.
Lowe’s built the 8×8 pergola with three slatted sides with the south side open and looking into the woods. There is a natural bench inside the pergola and the red, rotary dial wind phone itself is inside of a custom-built box that looks like a British phone booth.
A wood chip path leads from the sidewalk to the pergola, which will be nestled just west of the Center’s bocce courts.
Signage explains the purpose of the wind phone and how to use it.
“We want to create a very sacred place and a place where people can go to process their feelings,” said Travis. “There might be something you didn’t get a chance to say to that person, you might just want to tell them you miss them, or you might feel angry and want to tell them that too.”
The wind phone concept started in Japan where Itaru Sasaki created a “phone of the wind” in 2010 while grieving his cousin who died from cancer. He purchased an old fashioned phone booth and put it in his garden, then installed an obsolete rotary phone unconnected to any network.
Sasaki said the wind phone allowed him to heal and to feel close to his cousin who had passed.
“So the idea burst from someone’s grief,” said Travis. “He devised this grief therapy and it took off.”
The wind phone allows those who might be keeping their feelings inside a chance to express them and gain closure or simply recognize the possibility of intangible planes of existence.
Currently there are 186 wind phones in the United States; 87 international; and 15 “coming soon” including the location at the Clinton Township Senior Center.
The Clinton Township Board of Trustees approved the installation of the wind phone at its Aug. 12 meeting.
“When I first heard about this, I didn’t understand what it was,” said Clinton Township Supervisor Bob Cannon. “But once I understood what it was, I liked it.”
Senior Committee member Fran Badalamente said this “hotline” to loved ones is welcome.
“This is a lovely idea and something that will add to our center and be very helpful for people who are going through the grief process,” Badalamente said. “They can feel they can communicate in way that is personalized to them”
Trustee Julie Matuzak noted the wind phone is a much more environmentally friendly way to communicate with a lost loved one than letting off balloons or fire lanterns.
“Those are really bad for the environment,” said Matuzak. “Animals ingest the balloons and wires get tangled in farmland so this is the same concept but more personal because you are talking on the phone and at the same time more environmentally friendly.”
The Clinton Township Senior Center is set to be erected on this site next week, creating a serene, spiritual and secluded spot for people to communicate with those they have lost.
(PHOTO BY SUSAN SMILEY)
Ford Motor Company has issued a rare “do-not-drive” advisory for several models. The affected vehicles have officially been recalled — but some owners have yet to have repairs made.
The older vehicles have Takata airbag inflators, which could spew shrapnel if the airbags are deployed, posing a risk of serious injury or death for drivers and passengers.
The recall affects about 374,000 Ford cars and trucks in the U.S. that have not been repaired yet. Affected vehicles include:
2004-2006 Ford Ranger pickups
2005-2014 Ford Mustangs
2005-2006 Ford GTs
2006-2012 Ford Fusions, Mercury Milans and Lincoln MKZs
2007-2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles
2007-2011 Ford Rangers
The recall also affects another 82,000 Mazdas.
Ford says customers should not drive the vehicles anywhere to get repairs. Dealers can tow vehicles directly to their facilities. They will also offer a free loaner vehicle to customers if needed.
More stories for Aug. 14, 2024:
Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick will be a featured speaker at next week’s Lincoln Day Dinner in Novi. The event is a major fundraiser for the Oakland County Republican Party.
Dearborn is holding its first-ever community health survey. The city’s health department is starting the initiative to get a better understanding of residents’ health status and access to health care assets.
The Michigan Gaming Control Board has voted to renew the licenses of Detroit’s three casinos. The one-year renewal affects the MGM Grand Casino, Motor City Casino and Hollywood Casino at Greektown.
The city of Detroit announced that it’s now offering free wi-fi in five parks. Residents can use the service in Bradby, Chandler, Clark, McDuffy and Palmer Parks.
WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
The 2024 Michigan primary takes place on Tuesday, Aug. 6.
The state’s 9th Congressional District incumbent, Republican Lisa McClain, runs unopposed on her party’s side. Democrat Clinton St. Mosley also faces no one in the August primary and will meet McClain in November’s general election.
The 9th Congressional District includes Michigan’s Thumb and portions of northern metro Detroit, including Clarkston and Oxford.
A map of Michigan’s 9th Congressional District.
WDET distributed surveys to local, county and congressional candidates in key races on the August primary ballot to gain a deeper understanding of what’s motivating them to run. Responses have been edited for clarity and length.
Michigan’s 9th Congressional District Rep. Lisa McClain.
Name: Lisa McClain
Rep. Lisa McClain did not respond to WDET’s questionnaire request. You can find more information at McClain’s official website.
Democratic Candidates
Clinton St. Mosley
Name:Clinton St. Mosley
Age: 44
Current Occupation: Owner, insurance agency
Education:BA, Organizational Leadership, University of Memphis | Master’s Degree, HR Development, Villanova
Tell us about yourself in 200 words or less.
I am the father of twin seven-year-old boys, a husband and small business owner. I have worked in large corporations and small start-ups, and now own my own business. I grew up in North Carolina; my father was a union laborer and truck driver who often had to move from state-to-state to feed our family. My mother was a cosmetologist who later opened a restaurant where she met my dad.
I met and married my wife in Knoxville, TN and moved to Michigan to be near her family once we discovered we were blessed with twin boys. Our children attend public schools, and together, we have established strong roots in our community and volunteer on a number of local projects and organizations.
My interest in politics began in high school where I had many friends from diverse backgrounds and different political views. In college, we would vigorously debate and disagree about politics over a beer and remain good friends. Having tired of the partisan rhetoric that’s bogging our country down, I want to restore respect, sanity and common sense to our public discourse, and get back to a place where politicians built bridges instead of burning them down.
Why are you running for Michigan’s 9th Congressional District?
I am running because the citizens of the 9th Congressional District deserve a sensible leader who will listen to and address the needs of the working-class residents and hard-working families, instead of pandering to the extreme MAGA politics that favors the wealthy and takes away basic rights from many of our citizens.
I will give voters representation in Washington that 9th District residents can be proud of — no matter their political views — and do the work of providing good government that works hard for the working families to provide them a hand up, not a handout, and not spending time making angry TikTok videos to post on partisan social media sites.
What are the top 3 priority issues that the 9th congressional district faces and what actions would you, as its representative, take regarding each of them?
Wellness
Wellness means working to improve the physical, mental and environmental wellness of the residents of my district. I will support Medicaid for all and expand support for reduced prescription drug costs, expanding support for public/private partnerships for supplemental insurance, protect healthcare for seniors, reign-in fraud and ensure these programs are properly funded in perpetuity.
Opportunity
Opportunity means ensuring we have economic and educational opportunity for all through fair tax and economic policies that support small businesses, agricultural businesses and labor through fair union laws that encourage cooperation, living wages for heads of households, and support for businesses and workers alike.
Kids
Kids deserve a safe place to learn and an educational system that nurtures and respects children of all religious, economic and social backgrounds. Economic opportunity and growth begins with access to quality education, early education and affordable secondary education. I also support expanding support to young families through Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act and other pro-family solutions to help ease the burden of care and help increase worker participation.
What is your stance on gun reform in the U.S.?
We need common-sense gun safety laws that protect families, children, schools and our police, while also protecting 2nd Amendment rights for personal protection, sports and responsible firearms owners. The district includes Oxford High School and our community knows all too well the impacts gun violence has on communities.
We need help of gun owners to stand up and support the safe and responsible sale, use and ownership of guns, and to stand together to support the freedom from gun violence. I support an assault weapons ban and a Supreme Court-proof ban on bump stocks.
We need more rigid federal background checks, red flag laws and safe storage laws to keep firearms out of the hands of those deemed a risk to themselves or others, those who have a history of violence or criminal activity, and to enact stronger penalties for those who do not properly safeguard their storage, sale and use.
We need to hold gun manufacturers and distributors accountable for illegal activity such as marketing weapons to children, straw purchases and gun trafficking.
What is your stance on abortion rights?
I believe in reproductive freedom for all women in America — we need federal laws to codify Roe or enact similar reproductive rights for women and families in all 50 states.My wife and I had difficulty starting our family. Fortunately, we had access to a fertility doctor that helped us conceive our children. Tragically, our first pregnancy ended at six weeks with a miscarriage. We had a D&C procedure as prescribed, and a few months later we were blessed with twin boys with the help of IUI. In Congress, I will fight to ensure unfettered access to IVF and contraception for all women in America.
What is your solution to fight the current inflation crisis in the U.S.?
Thanks to the Biden/Harris administration, inflation spurred by the Covid pandemic appears to be waning while America regained its place as the leading economy in the world, still we have a lot of work to do to ease the pain and right the ship. I support a balanced federal budget; we need to be fiscally responsible so that our monetary policy doesn’t hurt working families.
We need to focus on wages, when inflation spikes it is harmful, but when wages stay stagnant for 50 years, and families are hit with 9% inflation, it is catastrophic. A living wage and wages overall need to improve to keep up pace with productivity.
We need to hold greedy corporations accountable for price gouging and enact windfall profits taxes when companies reap record gains at the expense of American consumers. I support Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ work to build our economy from the bottom up, and middle out — ensuring all Americans have economic opportunities.
What actions/decisions by your challenger have you disagreed with and how would you do things differently?
My opponent is a Trump-endorsed MAGA extremist who is an election denier, which is destroying trust in our election system and our democracy.My opponent voted against the bipartisan infrastructure bill, and yet, claims credit for the spending in our district.My opponent’s agenda and record is aligned with Project 2025, which would cause permanent harm to our federal government and take away rights from millions of American men and women — especially reproductive and LBGTQ+ rights.
My opponent does not support a women’s right to choose. My opponent voted against support of Ukraine — a struggling Democracy on Russia’s border. My opponent supports a tax structure that gives huge tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires, while shifting the burden to working class and lower income families.
Trusted, accurate, up-to-date.
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DETROIT (AP) — José Ramírez homered twice to give him 26 this season and had an RBI double, providing plenty of offense for Tanner Bibee and the Cleveland Guardians in an 8-4 win over the Detroit Tigers on Monday night.
Ramirez’s second homer was No. 240 of his career, tying him with Albert Belle for second in Cleveland history behind Jim Thome’s 337. He has 25 multihomer games, one shy of the totals of Thome and Belle.
Bibee (9-4) kept the Tigers scoreless until they opened the seventh inning with three straight hits, including Dillon Dingler’s RBI double in his major league debut. That chased Bibee, who gave up two runs on seven hits in six-plus innings.
All-Star Josh Naylor, who was rested the previous three games, hit a three-run homer off in the three-run sixth that put Cleveland ahead 7-0
The AL Central-leading Guardians made a move on the eve of trade deadline, acquiring outfielder Lane Thomas from Washington.
Cleveland, whose winning percentage trailed only Philadelphia’s, is in the market for starting pitching.
Detroit, meanwhile, is expected to deal at least one player to bolster a contender’s rotation.
Right-hander Jack Flaherty was scheduled to start the series opener against the Guardians but was scratched. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said it would wrong for Flaherty and the Tigers to pitch him a day before the deadline.
The Tigers will also have to decide if it makes sense to trade All-Star Tarik Skubal, who is 12-3 with a 2.35 ERA. Dealing the 28-year-old Flaherty, who has a $14 million, one-year contract and can become a free agent, seems to make sense for a fourth-place team still trying to rebuild.
Flaherty is 7-5 in 18 starts with a 2.95 ERA. Since making his major league debut with St. Louis in 2017, he is 49-39 with a 3.64 ERA.
Detroit did make several moves before the game, including putting shortstop Javier Báez on the medical emergency list to attend to family matters.
Beau Brieske (1-2) got just two outs and gave up three runs and five hits in the first inning.
Detroit selected the contract of Bryan Sammons from Triple-A Toledo and the 29-year-old lefty gave up five runs and four hits over 7 1/3 innings in his major league debut.
UP NEXT
Cleveland RHP Gavin Williams (0-3, 4.50) is expected to pitch Tuesday.
Cleveland Guardians’ Jose Ramírez rounds the bases after a solo home run off Detroit Tigers pitcher Bryan Sammons during the third inning of a baseball game, Monday, July 29, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
ST. LOUIS (AP) — The Texas Rangers acquired catcher Carson Kelly from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for two minor leaguers on Sunday night.
Kelly, who will likely back up Gold Glove winner Jonah Heim, batted .240 with seven homers and 29 RBIs in 60 games for the Tigers this season. For his career, he has a .224 average with 52 home runs and 199 RBIs over parts of nine seasons with St. Louis, Arizona and Detroit.
The Tigers received catcher Liam Hicks and right-hander Tyler Owens in the deal. Hicks was hitting .260 with four homers and 33 RBIs over 80 games with Double-A Frisco this season, and Owens was 2-0 with a 2.80 ERA and eight saves in 26 appearances for Frisco.
The defending World Series champion Rangers, third in the AL West, are coming off a three-game sweep at Toronto this weekend and open a three-game series at St. Louis on Monday night.
Detroit Tigers’ Carson Kelly is hit by a pitch during the third inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
DETROIT (AP) — Bailey Ober allowed one hit in eight scoreless innings, and the Minnesota Twins beat Detroit 5-0 on Sunday to win the weekend and season series against the Tigers.
Willi Castro and Manuel Margot each had three hits for the Twins, who went 2 for 15 with runners in scoring position. Minnesota won two of three to finish 7-6 against Detroit.
Ober (10-5) allowed a clean single to Matt Vierling to lead off the fourth and walked two batters while striking out a career-high 11. He is 3-0 with a 0.69 ERA in four starts against the Tigers this season.
Detroit, down to three healthy starting pitchers, got nine innings from its bullpen for the third time in six games. Opener Alex Faedo (5-2) allowed one run in one-plus innings.
The Twins took the lead on Brook Lee’s sacrifice fly in the second, and Carlos Santana made it 2-0 with another sac fly in the third.
Matt Wallner added an RBI double off Kenta Maeda in the seventh, giving the Twins a three-run lead, and they scored two more in the ninth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Twins 3B Jose Miranda left the game in the first inning after Faedo hit him in the cheek with a 95-mph fastball. It appeared Miranda’s ear flap took most of the impact, and he walked off the field under his own power after a check from the Minnesota training staff. He passed preliminary concussion tests.
UP NEXT
Twins: Fly to New York to start a three-game series with the Mets on Monday. RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (3-1, 3.27) is scheduled to start the opener against LHP Jose Quintana (5-6, 4.02).
Tigers: Remain home for two games against AL-best Cleveland. RHP Jack Flaherty (7-5, 2.95), the subject of trade rumors, is scheduled to start Monday against RHP Tanner Bibee (8-4, 3.50).
Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Kenta Maeda, right, tags first base in time for an out against Minnesota Twins' Carlos Santana, center, during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in Detroit. At left is Bligh Madris. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)
DETROIT (AP) — Claressa Shields knocked out WBC heavyweight champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse early in the second round Saturday night, earning titles in a fourth and fifth division.
Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, moved up two weight classes to fight at 175 pounds as a light heavyweight and also claimed Lepage-Joanisse’s heavyweight belt. Her previous titles were at 154, 160 and 168 pounds.
She joined Roy Jones Jr. as the only two boxers in more than 100 years to win middleweight and heavyweight titles. That’s another feat that makes her one of the greatest athletes of all time in any sport, according to Shields.
“What I’ve been able to do in my career, from the amateur to the pros, I’m definitely top five,” Shield said. “If you want to put me up there next to Michael Jordan, Kobe (Bryant), Serena Williams, Muhammad Ali. I’m definitely in that conversation.”
Shields (15-0, 3 KOs) ended the first round with a series of combinations and started the second with more, barely breaking a sweat, and landed a flurry of shots that sent Lepage-Joanisse down for the third and final time 1:09 into the round.
Lepage-Joanisse (22-3-1) was on defense from the start of her short night.
Shields boxed for the first time since defending her undisputed middleweight title with a lopsided unanimous decision over Maricela Cornejo nearly 14 months ago.
In between bouts, she improved to 2-1 as a MMA fighter in February.
Shields gained 15 pounds, then lost five pounds, before weighing in at just under 175 pounds.
“I was able to eat a lot of pho,” she said. “Usually, I have to be careful with noodles in camp because of the carbs.”
She sparred against men, including one who weighs 190 pounds, and made some changes to her strength and conditioning program.
“Looking at Vanessa in her fights, she pushed girls back because her legs are very strong,” Shields said while promoting the fight during a visit to Detroit Lions training camp on Thursday, when Hulk Hogan also was there for a visit. “We made sure I have the power in my legs to push her back, and not get pushed back, and also really worked on the strength in my arms.”
Shields won gold medals in the women’s middleweight division at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, making her the first boxer from the United States to win consecutive Olympic medals. She is the only American to win Olympic gold in boxing since 2004 and was named Sportswoman of the Year by the Women’s Sports Foundation last October.
Shields was a big enough name to draw boxing to Little Caesars Arena for the first time last year and did it again, headlining a card with up-and-coming fighters with seats sold out on the floor and a lower level that was mostly full.
Michel Rivera (26-1) of the Dominican Republic, ranked 30th at 140 pounds, won with a split decision against Hugo Alberto Roldan of Argentina.
Julian Smith improved to 9-2 with a split-decision victory over 34th-ranked super lightweight Shohjahon Ergashev (24-1) of Uzbekistan.
Smith, a deaf boxer from the Chicago area, hopes his performance shows hearing loss isn’t an obstacle in the ring.
“It inspires me to show the world that people can do it, given the right access,” he said through an American Sign Language interpreter.
Middleweight champion Claressa Shields looks down reigning WBC women's heavyweight boxing champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse of Quebec during a fight, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Detroit. (CARLOS OSORIO — AP Photo)
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer tied for 10th on the career strikeout list when the Texas Rangers right-hander recorded his 3,393rd on Thursday against the Chicago White Sox.
Scherzer matched former teammate and fellow three-time Cy Young winner Justin Verlander for the most among active pitchers after striking out two in the first inning. The second was Andrew Vaughn’s swing-and-miss for the final out.
“Pretty incredible. I mean, you look at his career, being in the top 10, that’s pretty special,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said before the game. “This game has been going on for a long time … and he’s one of the best pitchers in the game. And the numbers show that.”
Two days before his 40th birthday, Scherzer was pitching in his 464th career game over 17 big league seasons. Scherzer has also played for Arizona, Detroit, Washington, the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets. He was part of World Series titles with the Nationals in 2019 and the Rangers last season.
Scherzer and the 41-year-old Verlander, now with Houston, were teammates with the Tigers from 2010-14, during a span when both won baseball’s top pitching award. Scherzer was the Cy Young winner in 2013, and then again in 2016 and 2017 with the Washington Nationals. Verlander won that award in 2011, and in 2019 and 2022 with the Astros.
Verlander hasn’t pitched for the Astros since June 9 because of neck stiffness that caused him to go on the injured list. His 519 starts are the most among active pitchers, while Scherzer is second at 455 in two fewer seasons.
It was only Scherzer’s seventh start since offseason back surgery. He exited Saturday against Baltimore after two innings and 53 pitches because of arm fatigue.
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer works against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, July 20, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)
Two former STAR EMS workers are facing federal charges for allegedly stealing a USPS collection box from outside an office building in Bloomfield Hills while on duty.
A criminal complaint filed July 16 in U.S. District Court – Eastern District of Michigan alleges Ryan Baugh and Jacob Sandrock took the box from where it was bolted onto concrete at 2550 Telegraph Rd. on April 29; the Bloomfield Hills postmaster reported it missing the next day.
Baugh and Sandrock are charged with theft of government property — punishable by up to 10 years in prison — and obstruction of mail, which carries a penalty of up to six months in jail. Fines can also be imposed.
As stated in the complaint, a postal technician received a call on May 2 from someone later identified as Baugh who asked if he could keep the postal box that he found by the dumpster, and that he wanted it for “personal use/decorative purposes.” The technician told him no. That same day, a STAR EMS manager called the technician, stating that Baugh told him he was given permission to keep the box.
According to the complaint, video from the STAR EMS ambulance’s camera shows Sandrock and Baugh using a stretcher to load the postal box into the vehicle. As further alleged in the complaint, Baugh can be heard telling Sandrock that they’d have to dispose of the collection box if they got an emergency call.
When they interviewed Sandrock, postal inspectors allege he said taking the box was “f***ing stupid” and that he had thought it was trash because it had been near a dumpster. He further said Baugh told him he had gotten the OK from the post office to take it and that it could perhaps be used as a drop box for medical reports, the complaint states.
STAR EMS management said the incident doesn’t represent its eimployees, and the two would’ve been fired if they hadn’t quit. (File photo by Peg McNichol/MediaNews Group)
Baugh allegedly told postal inspectors he hadn’t seen the postal box until the day they took it and thought it was “out of commission” because it was near a dumpster. He also said it was his idea to take it, not Sandrock’s, the complaint further states.
The Bloomfield Post Office stated that the collection box has always been there, but the dumpster was new, according to the complaint. The box is valued at $1,800.
Baugh and Sandrock are scheduled for a preliminary examination in federal court on Aug. 8.
A member of STAR EMS management who asked not to be named told The Oakland Press that Baugh, a paramedic, and Sandrock, an EMT, “voluntarily separated” from the company after the incident. The manager said that had they not quit they would have been terminated as the company “does not take (such incidents) lightly.” He further stated that the incident is “definitely not representative” of STAR EMS employees and that management could never have predicted it “in a million years.”
Baugh and Sandrock are now employed with another EMS company, he added.
U.S. Postal Service mailbox file photo Peg McNichol/
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