Author name: Jeannette Mercer

Jeannette Mercer writes about politics, health, business, parenting, and finance for local news sites. She's also a proud mom to two kids who keep her on her toes and an avid runner who loves racing in marathons.

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Builders offering valuable incentives to entice homebuyers

LOS ANGELES — Americans looking to buy a newly built home this spring are likely to get a helping hand with their mortgage rate and other costs. Many homebuilders are offering buyers valuable incentives like paying down their mortgage rate, covering closing costs or even throwing in “flex dollars” that home shoppers can put toward […]

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US retail sales plunged last month as consumers pulled back after busy holiday season

WASHINGTON — U.S. retail sales dropped sharply last month, in part because cold weather kept more Americans indoors and dented sales at car dealers and most other stores. Retail sales dropped 0.9% in January from the previous month, the Commerce Department said, after two months of healthy gains. January’s average temperature was the lowest since

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Stock market today: Asian stocks mostly up, as Chinese technology firms see stock rally

HONG KONG — Asian stocks were mostly up Friday on the back of a near-record rally on U.S. stocks, as investors paid little attention to U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threats. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index surged 3.69% to 22,620.33, while the Shanghai Composite was up 0.43% to 3,346.72. The Nikkei 225 slid 0.79%

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Elon Musk met with Modi during Indian PM's US visit. What does he want from India?

NEW DELHI — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk during his visit to the U.S. to meet President Donald Trump. The exact nature of the meeting is unclear, although Modi said on X that the two men “discussed various issues, including those he is passionate about such as space, mobility,

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Can suspending a cage-free egg law solve the soaring price problem? Nevada takes a crack at it

LAS VEGAS — Back when egg prices remained securely under $2 a dozen in 2021, Nevada joined several other states concerned about animal welfare in requiring cage-free eggs. Now four years later, a dozen eggs costs an average of nearly $5 in the U.S. because of the lingering bird flu, so Nevada passed a law

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EPA chief says he will seek return of $20 billion in clean-energy grants awarded by Biden

WASHINGTON — In a major reversal, the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency said he will try to rescind $20 billion in grants awarded by the Biden administration for climate and clean-energy projects. In a video posted on X, Administrator Lee Zeldin said the EPA would revoke contracts for a still-emerging “green bank” that

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European naval force helps free ship seized by suspected Somali pirates off Horn of Africa

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A European naval force in the Middle East helped free a Yemeni fishing boat seized by suspected Somali pirates off the Horn of Africa, authorities said. The naval force, known as EUNAVFOR Atalanta, said late Thursday the incident remained under investigation. It said the 12 mariners on board were safe

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Why some Hong Kongers live in homes smaller than a parking space, by the numbers

HONG KONG — Tens of thousands of people in densely populated, land-poor Hong Kong live in tiny dwellings made by dividing up apartments, most smaller than a parking space. It’s an affordable option for students and low-income families but can also mean banging shins in cramped and in some cases substandard living spaces. The city’s

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