To her, Hurricane Helene debris isn’t trash. It is full of memories — and she’s returning them

SWANNANOA, N.C. (AP) — The tops of dried, bent cornstalks crunch underfoot. Jill Holtz’s gaze is fixed on the ground ahead. She wanders into the nearby woods and weaves between twisted branches. Then, Holtz spots something and starts to riffle through the withered twigs. To the untrained eye, it’s easy to overlook. But for Holtz,…

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The Fed’s preferred inflation gauge cooled last month, but consumer spending sank

Economists were expecting the Personal Consumption Expenditures index to slow to 2.5%.Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty Images CNN  —  The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge cooled as expected in January; however, the good news came with a red flag for the US economic engine: Consumers pulled back their spending by the most in nearly four years. The Personal…

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