Hill Country News

Local gas prices tick upward, then back down again

After a slight tick upward last week, local gas prices fell back down below the $3 range at many stations across Cedar Park and Leander. The Austin metro area average fell 4 cents to $3.12 per … more

Staff Reports | 9/28/22

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell speaks at a press conference following the conclusion of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting and a 0.75 percent increase in the federal funds rate in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022.

US jobless claims rise slightly, still near lowest since May

Applications for U.S. unemployment insurance ticked up from an almost four-month low, suggesting demand for workers remains healthy despite an increasingly uncertain economic outlook.Initial … more

By Augusta Saraiva, Bloomberg News (TNS) | 9/27/22

US power prices rise most in 41 years as inflation endures

August electricity bills for U.S. consumers jumped the most since 1981, gaining 15.8% from the same period a year ago, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.Natural gas bills, which crept … more

By Naureen S. Malik, Bloomberg News (TNS) | 9/26/22

A home for sale in the Cedar Park Town Center neighborhood on August 3, 2022.

Mortgage rates soar to 6%, a level not seen since 2008

Mortgage rates jumped to a shocking 6% as homeownership grows even more unaffordable for many homebuyers.The average rate for a 30-year-fixed mortgage hit a level not seen since the 2008 housing … more

By Amber Bonefont, South Florida Sun Sentinel (TNS) | 9/24/22

A library patron looks at a book at the main branch of the San Francisco Public Library on Jan. 11, 2011, in San Francisco. Librarians and their legislative allies in several states are pushing publishers of electronic books to lower their prices and ease licensing terms.

Librarians and lawmakers push for greater access to e-books

Librarians and their legislative allies are pushing publishers of electronic books to lower their prices and relax licensing terms, an effort that could make it easier for millions of library users … more

By Caitlin Dewey, Stateline.org (TNS) | 9/15/22

Online banks are likely to offer better interest on savings than brick-and-mortar institutions, but even those rates are nothing to write home about.

Why are mortgage rates up but interest on your savings isn’t? What to know after Fed hikes

Why are you getting virtually no interest on your savings?After all, mortgage interest rates are nearly twice as high as they were at the start of the year, thanks largely to the Federal Reserve’s … more

By David Lightman, Hanh Truong, The Sacramento Bee (TNS) | 9/14/22

Chairman of the Federal Reserve Jerome H. Powell on Capitol Hill on June 23, 2022, in Washington, D.C.

US inflation tops forecasts, cementing odds of big Fed hike

U.S. consumer prices were resurgent last month, dashing hopes of a nascent slowdown and likely assuring another historically large interest-rate hike from the Federal Reserve.The consumer price index … more

By Olivia Rockeman, Bloomberg News (TNS) | 9/13/22

Queen Elizabeth II at the opening of a new building at the Thames Hospice in Maidenhead, United Kingdom on July 15, 2022. (Pool/i-Images via ZUMA Press/TNS)

Queen Elizabeth, who reigned longer than any British monarch, dies at 96

Queen Elizabeth II, who wasn’t expected to ascend to the throne when she was born but went on to become the longest-lived and longest-reigning monarch in British history, has … more

Henry Chu, Los Angeles Times (TNS) | 9/8/22

A view of the U.S. Capitol Building on March 11, 2022, in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/TNS)

Stopgap funding bill set to dominate September agenda

Lawmakers return to Washington this month to wrestle with a White House request for $47.1 billion in emergency supplemental funds and the need to pass a stopgap spending bill to avoid a partial … more

Paul M. Krawzak, CQ-Roll Call (TNS) | 9/8/22

White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha speaks at a press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, June 2, 2022.

Omicron COVID-19 booster shots are coming: What you need to know

The next generation of COVID-19 booster shots — tailored specifically to combat the highly infectious family of omicron subvariants — could roll out early next month.The long-in-the-works … more

By Rong-Gong Lin II and Luke Money, Los Angeles Times (TNS) | 8/31/22

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) questions Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson during her Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, March 23, 2022, in Washington, D.C.

Texas Sen. John Cornyn raises privacy concerns over drunk driving prevention tech in cars

After privacy concerns arose, three Republican senators, including Texan John Cornyn, introduced legislation to repeal a provision that would mandate the development of advanced … more

By Emily Caldwell, The Dallas Morning News (TNS) | 8/31/22

The Texaco gas station and convenience store at New Hope Drive and Lakeline Boulevard in Cedar Park, Texas on August 29, 2022.

Gas prices continue slide for 11th straight week

Average gasoline prices in the Austin area fell another 2.8 cents per gallon in the last week, with some Cedar Park and Leander stations reporting an even further drop with prices as low as $3.16 … more

Staff and Wire Reports | 8/31/22

A man walks past a &quot;now hiring&quot; sign posted outside of a restaurant in Arlington, Virginia on June 3, 2022. ()

US jobless claims fall for second week, a sign of labor strength

Applications for U.S. unemployment insurance fell for the second week, suggesting that employers are holding on to workers despite growing economic uncertainty. Initial unemployment claims … more

By Olivia Rockeman, Bloomberg News (TNS) | 8/30/22

A participant smokes as activists demonstrating for the legalization of marijuana march in the annual Hemp Parade (Hanfparade) on Aug. 13, 2022 in Berlin.

Study: Marijuana, hallucinogen use at all-time high among young adults

Marijuana and hallucinogen use in the past year reported by young adults increased significantly in 2021 compared to five and 10 years ago, reaching historic highs, according to the Monitoring the … more

By Sarah Rahal, The Detroit News (TNS) | 8/25/22

A nurse administers a pediatric dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to a girl at a L.A. Care Health Plan vaccination clinic at Los Angeles Mission College in the Sylmar neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, Jan. 19, 2022.

Pfizer’s shot is 73% effective against COVID in children under 5

Pfizer Inc.’s COVID-19 vaccine was 73.2% effective against the disease in a trial of children 6 months through 4 years old, reinforcing results that led to the shot’s authorization in young kids … more

By John Lauerman, Bloomberg News (TNS) | 8/25/22

People shop for flooring at a home improvement store on Aug. 16, 2022, in Alhambra, California.

US economy flashes signals of hope and concern in mixed data

Data this week generated a mixed report card of the U.S. economy, showing both resilience in the face of high inflation and signs of troubles ahead.Consumers continue to spend, albeit … more

By Reade Pickert, Bloomberg News (TNS) | 8/23/22

Senate Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks during a news briefing at the U.S. Capitol on March 8, 2022, in Washington, D.C.

Will the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act bring prices down? What the experts say

President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats are touting the “Inflation Reduction Act” as their big election year triumph, a major way of getting soaring prices to come down.But … more

By David Lightman, McClatchy Washington Bureau (TNS) | 8/17/22

All 50 state attorneys general have created an anti-robocall task force to go after the bad actors.

All 50 state attorneys general unite against robocalls

Nothing has been able to kill scam robocalls — not federal regulation, not individual state lawsuits, not private software. Each effort has made a dent, but the unwanted calls keep on coming, … more

By Elaine S. Povich, Stateline.org (TNS) | 8/17/22

A sign shows gas prices at the Quik Trip station at the intersection of North Bell Boulevard and Toll 183-A in Leander, Texas, on August 16, 2022. Gas Prices have continued falling and dropped below $3.36 on average for a gallon of regular unleaded in the past week.

Gas prices continue falling, now below $3.30 in some places locally; 5 reasons why you’re paying way less at the pump

For more than two full months, drivers have seen a steady drop in gasoline prices — something that seemed unfathomable earlier in the summer when the average price nationally approached $5 a … more

Staff and Wire Reports | 8/16/22

The Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve Board building is seen in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, March 16, 2022.

Daly says Fed is ‘far from done yet’ on bringing inflation down

San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly suggested a 50 basis-point rate increase isn’t locked in at the U.S. central bank’s next policy meeting, saying the Federal Reserve is “far from done … more

By Catarina Saraiva, Bloomberg News (TNS) | 8/9/22

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