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By Kimberly Palmer, NerdWalletThe investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments.The start of a new year can bring a surge of motivation around setting new goals, including financial resolutions.One way to help those goals become reality, financial experts say, is to make them as specific as possible. Then, track your progress, while allowing flexibility for unexpected challenges.“It’s easier to track progress when we know where we are going,” says Sylvie…

By LAURA UNGAR and KIMBERLEE KRUESIMEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Taylor Cagnacci moved from California to Tennessee with hopes of starting a new chapter in a state that touts a low cost of living and natural beauty.But she’s infuriated by Tennessee’s meager social services, which leave her and many other moms struggling in a state where abortion is banned with limited exceptions.“I was going to have my child no matter what, but for other women, that’s kind of a crappy situation that they put you in,” said Cagnacci, a 29-year-old Kingsport mom who relies on Medicaid and a federally funded nutrition…

The world according to Jim:• Can we close our eyes and pretend, just for a while, that this coming Wednesday’s Rose Bowl matchup is truly old school?Yeah, we know. Pasadena’s bowl game will hang on to its traditions as long as possible – that 2 p.m. New Year’s Day starting time, at least in years when it’s not a College Football Playoff semifinal, as well as that magnificent fourth-quarter sunset reflecting off the mountainside and the presence of the Tournament of Roses grand marshal for the pregame coin flip. (In this case it’s Billie Jean King, and what better choice…

An Anza-based Christian college under federal investigation for alleged labor trafficking and money laundering has been ordered to cease operation for failing to adhere to state educational guidelines and mandates.Administrative Law Judge Debra Nye-Perkins, in decision that became effective Dec. 10, revoked Olivet University’s license and ordered officials to stop enrolling new students and to propose a plan within 30 days to “teach out” its current students, allowing them to complete their courses, perhaps at another institution, after the campus shuts down.Nye-Perkins also ordered Olivet to pay more than $64,000 for the cost of the state investigation that found 14…

By Lea Skene | The Associated PressMaryland is suing the company that produces the waterproof material Gore-Tex often used for raincoats and other outdoor gear, alleging its leaders kept using “forever chemicals” long after learning about serious health risks associated with them.The complaint, which was filed last week in federal court, focuses on a cluster of 13 facilities in northeastern Maryland operated by Delaware-based W.L. Gore & Associates. It alleges the company polluted the air and water around its facilities with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, jeopardizing the health of surrounding communities while raking in profits.The lawsuit adds to other claims…

By Vanessa G. Sánchez, KFF Health News (TNS)LOS ANGELES — President-elect Donald Trump’s promise of mass deportations and tougher immigration restrictions is deepening mistrust of the health care system among California’s immigrants and clouding the future for providers serving the state’s most impoverished residents.At the same time, immigrants living illegally in Southern California told KFF Health News they thought the economy would improve and their incomes might increase under Trump, and for some that outweighed concerns about health care.Community health workers say fear of deportation is already affecting participation in Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program for low-income residents, which was…

Maybe it’s a confidence thing. Or a momentum thing. It might be both.Whatever “it” is, it has been obvious when the Chargers have had it within their grasp and when they haven’t had it. Sometimes they’ve had it and lost it within the same game or quarter or half. On rare occasions, they’ve had it from start to finish, propelled to a comprehensive victory.Sometimes the Chargers’ offense has had it and their defense hasn’t had it.Sometimes it’s been the other way around.When the Chargers have needed it most, when games have been on the line, they have grabbed it and…

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH, Associated PressFor Makenzie Gilkison, spelling is such a struggle that a word like rhinoceros might come out as “rineanswsaurs” or sarcastic as “srkastik.”The 14-year-old from suburban Indianapolis can sound out words, but her dyslexia makes the process so draining that she often struggles with comprehension. “I just assumed I was stupid,” she recalled of her early grade school years.But assistive technology powered by artificial intelligence has helped her keep up with classmates. Last year, Makenzie was named to the National Junior Honor Society. She credits a customized AI-powered chatbot, a word prediction program and other tools that…

Workers in Southern California’s lesser-compensated counties are getting the bigger pay hikes. My trusty spreadsheet reviewed quarterly wage stats from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics for the second quarter, focusing on details for 29 California counties and seven from Southern California. The 9.9 million local workers collectively saw annualized earnings rise 3.6% in 12 months to an average $75,600 annual wage. By the way, Southern California’s workforce is roughly the size of all the employees in New York state or the Netherlands. Details Let’s start with paying the Inland Empire and its big logistics industries. Across San Bernardino County,…

CHARGERS (9-6) at PATRIOTS (3-12) When: Saturday, 10 a.m. PT Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass. TV/radio: NFL Network/98.7 FM; 105.5 FM, 94.3 FM (Spanish) Line: Chargers by 4.5 points Notable injury designations Chargers: OUT: RB Gus Edwards (ankle), LB Denzel Perryman (groin), RG Trey Pipkins III (hip). QUESTIONABLE: RB J.K. Dobbins (knee), TE Will Dissly (shoulder), TE Hayden Hurst (illness), DB Elijah Molden (knee). Patriots: OUT: CB Marcus Jones (hip). QUESTIONABLE: C Ben Brown (concussion), S Kyle Dugger (ankle/quadriceps), LB Curtis Jacobs (concussion), LB Anfernee Jennings (knee), LB Titus Leo (ankle), S Jabrill Peppers (hamstring), OL Cole Strange (knee), LB…