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Couple loses everything in apartment fire weeks before welcoming their first child

Family members say Sophia and Phillip Pacheco lost everything in an apartment fire weeks ahead of welcoming their first child. (GoFundMe)

San Antonio, Texas

A young couple in Texas is forced to start over after they reportedly lost everything in a large apartment fire this week.

KENS reports that Sophia and Phillip Pacheco’s San Antonio apartment caught fire on Wednesday night after a barbecue grill ignited in an apartment next door.

Family members say the couple lost all of their belongings in the fire just weeks before the birth of their first child.

“My daughter is eight months pregnant, and they lost everything. All they have is the clothes on their back,” Sophia Pacheco’s mother, Susan Castaneda, wrote on a GoFundMe account.

The couple shared that they have been unable to return their building as it is now condemned.

They said some of the sentimental items they lost in the fire included photo albums and a hand-knitted blanket for their baby boy.

“One minute, we are fine. The next minute, all of our stuff is gone,” Sophia Pacheco told KENS. “Baby items, personal items, family heirlooms, our wedding rings.”

Sophia Pacheco’s mother said she started the online fundraiser to help her daughter and son-in-law get back on their feet and has thanked everyone who has already helped them.

Phillip Pacheco shared that their faith is also helping them in the rebuilding process.

Biden mistakenly calls Ukraine’s Zelenskyy ‘President Putin’ at NATO summit

President Joe Biden mistakenly introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin” at a NATO conference Thursday. (White House pool)

Washington

President Joe Biden mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin,” at the end of this week’s NATO summit on Thursday.

In announcing a compact that would bring together NATO countries to support Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia, Biden referred to Ukraine’s leader as the Russian president.

Biden quickly returned to the microphone saying, “President Putin - he’s going to beat President Putin ... President Zelenskyy.”

Then he said: “I’m so focused on beating Putin,” to explain the gaffe.

Zelenskyy handled the flubbed introduction, replying with “I’m better.”

“You’re a hell of a lot better,” Biden said back.

President Biden’s ability to run for reelection continues to face crucial tests following his recent debate performance against former President Donald Trump.

Biden’s team reportedly met privately with skeptical senators on Capitol Hill on Thursday as more House Democrats called for him to exit the race.

The 81-year-old’s recent miscues and moments of possible confusion seen on camera have raised questions about his mental health ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Some retailers are increasing interest rates on their credit cards, including Macy’s

FILE — Data shows people in their 20s and 30s are impacted the most by credit card debt. (Pixabay via MGN)

Store credit cards can be tempting regarding certain benefits, but they also carry some of the higher interest rates for credit.

According to multiple reports, Macy’s recently sent a notification to some of their credit card holders regarding an APR increase.

Some card holders for Macy’s are seeing their rate increase to 34.49%, the Houston Chronicle reported.

The retailer’s card holders were reportedly told about the increase in letters sent out this month.

Personal finance website Bankrate reported earlier this year that retail credit cards were charging an average of 28.93% APR in 2023. However, some retailers were charging even higher interest rates.

“Just remember that any balance you carry on a retail credit card is likely to be more expensive than you realize, so do your best to pay off your purchases as quickly as possible,” Nicole Dieker and Aja McClanahan, personal finance writers, shared.

KFMB reports other retailers with APRs over 30% include Petco and Exxon Mobil, according to Ted Rossman, a senior industry analyst at Bankrate.

Owning a home is the least affordable it has been in nearly 2 decades, report says

FILE — Home prices continue to rise in the U.S. and a new report says home ownership is becoming the least affordable for many Americans in nearly 20 years. (WHSV)

Home prices continue to rise in the U.S. and a new report says home ownership is becoming the least affordable for many Americans in nearly 20 years.

ATTOM, a curator of land, property and real estate data, released its second-quarter 2024 U.S. Home Affordability Report earlier this month.

The report showed that median-priced single-family homes and condos remained less affordable in the second quarter of 2024 compared to historical averages in 99% of counties around the nation.

ATTOM reports that major expenses on median-priced homes consumed 35.1% of the average national wage in the second quarter, marking the highest percentage seen since 2007.

“The latest affordability data presents a clear challenge for home buyers. While home prices are increasing and mortgage rates remain relatively high, these factors are making homes less affordable,” said Rob Barber, CEO for ATTOM.

According to the report, the national median home price spiked to a new high of $360,000 during this year’s spring buying season, leading to increases in the cost of owning a home outpacing wage increases, with mortgage rates remaining around 7%.

“It’s common for these trends to intensify during the Spring buying season when buyer demand increases. However, the trends this year are particularly challenging for house hunters, more so than at any point since the housing market boom began in 2012,” Barber said.

Last month, CNN reported that the price of owning a home has been rising sharply over the last few years for expenses more than just mortgage payments.

U.S. homeowners are paying an average of $18,118 a year for property taxes, homeowners’ insurance, maintenance, energy and various other expenses, according to a June Bankrate study.

That number represents a reported 26% increase from four years ago when it cost $14,428 annually to own and maintain a home.

Counties with the largest populations that were considered unaffordable according to ATTOM were Los Angeles County, Cook County (Chicago), Maricopa County (Phoenix), San Diego County and Orange County (outside Los Angeles).

According to the report, the most populous of the 115 counties that were considered to be affordable were Harris County (Houston), Wayne County (Detroit), Philadelphia County, Cuyahoga County (Cleveland), and Allegheny County (Pittsburgh).

Man vows to never eat bologna again after winning $1 million on lottery scratch-off

A Tennessee man has secured the first top prize of the $1 million Casino Nights Kentucky Lottery scratch-off game. (Kentucky Lottery)

Logan County, Ky.

A lucky Tennessee man turned a $20 ticket into a $1 million lottery jackpot.

According to the Kentucky Lottery, Jody, who requested his last name not be shared, came to Louisville on June 10 with his father to claim their winnings from the $1 million Casino Nights Kentucky Lottery scratch-off game.

Lottery officials said Jody’s father purchased the winning ticket just a few days earlier at an Adairville Market and began scratching the ticket at the store.

“I said [to the clerk], ‘If I hit this million dollars, I ain’t ever eating bologna again,’” the father shared

The top prize was revealed within the first couple of rows where he matched the three key symbols next to the top prize amount.

“It kind of shocked me,” the father said.

He told lottery officials that he immediately called his son when he realized he’d won.

“He went, ‘You’ll never believe what I just did,’” Jody said. “And, I said, ‘What?’ He said, ‘We just won $1 million!’ I was sitting there thinking, yeah right, I don’t believe you!”

According to Jody, his father then drove down to his home to show him the ticket and they made plans to drive up to Kentucky Lottery headquarters.

Jody said he still continued with his weekend plans that included mowing the lawn while looking forward to their Louisville trip.

As for the winnings, Jody said he plans on investing the money.

“Houses are paid off. Cars paid off. We will be bill-free probably next week,” he said.

Lottery officials said Jody and his father opted to take the game’s $700,000 lump sum cash option.