Credit Card Debt Soars Past $1.14 Trillion

A Fed report showed American's credit card debt reached $1.14 trillion. This marks a 2.4% increase last quarter.

Half of credit cardholders carry debt month to month, a trend not seen since March 2020. Also, 57% of consumers now rely on credit cards to meet everyday expenses.

Delinquency rates have risen, with 9.1% of credit card balances transitioning to delinquency in the past year. Young adults (18 to 39), are falling the most into delinquency.

As interest rates hover above 20%, experts urge consumers to tackle their credit card debt quickly.

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Uber's Q2 Earnings

Uber earned 47 cents per share, surpassing the anticipated 31 cents. Revenue also climbed to $10.7 billion.

The mobility sector rose 23% in gross bookings, reaching $20.6 billion. The delivery segment, powered by food services, saw a 16% increase to $18.1 billion.

156 million active users contributed to 2.77 billion rides this quarter.

Uber anticipates third-quarter bookings between $40.25 billion and $41.75 billion.

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Lead in Cocoa Puffs?

Recent lawsuits are targeting General Mills, claiming its Cocoa Puffs cereal contains dangerous levels of lead.

Filed in Minnesota and California, these class-action lawsuits seek over $5 million in damages for consumers misled about the product's safety.

The California suit states that one cup of Cocoa Puffs nearly meets the state's lead limit of 0.5 micrograms. Most consumers, however, pour more than one cup, increasing their exposure.

Both complaints argue that lead ingestion can severely harm children's developing brains, leading to long-term health issues.

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Dopamine's Potential in Alzheimer's Treatment

Researchers from Japan's RIKEN Center for Brain Science discovered that increasing dopamine production may enhance memory in Alzheimer's patients.

By boosting dopamine, they aimed to elevate levels of an enzyme called neprilysin. This enzyme can lower beta-amyloid, which forms plaques in the brain.

After eight weeks of treatment, the treated mice showed fewer plaques. The team also tested levodopa. Mice receiving levodopa for three months had more neprilysin and less beta-amyloid, leading to better memory test results.

While promising, levodopa has serious side effects, including dizziness and hallucinations. The researchers plan to explore dopamine's regulation of neprilysin further.

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