MoneyWatch

On Thursday, Venice, Italy became the first city in the world to charge day tourists a feejust to visit its historic canals and other attractions on peak days. The measure is designed to counter over-tourism and mitigate the deleterious impact large crowds can have on some of the city’s fragile sites, while also persuading some tourists to visit during less …

Debt is often stressful. After all, life comes with plenty of expenses. And when you use credit to address those expenses, they typically become larger as a result of interest and finance charges. If left unchecked, growing debt can lead to financial hardship. That’s especially true in today’s economic environment, in which high interest rates have become the norm. But, …

Gold prices have been on a rollercoaster ride in recent weeks, reflecting the economic uncertainties and inflationary pressures that have been gripping the nation. The precious metal saw its value surge to record highs, skyrocketing from about $1,990 per ounce in mid-February to a then-record high of $2,160 per ounce in late March. That uptick in gold prices continued, with …

Donald Trump is about to see his fortune grow by $1.2 billion. The former U.S. president is set to receive a so-called earnout bonus of 36 million shares in his newly public company, Trump Media & Technology Group, as part of an incentive that was created for the company’s public market debut in March, according to a regulatory filing. For …

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has officially gone country with the release Friday of her new album, “Cowboy Carter.” The Houston native’s eighth album features 27 song tracks and guest appearances from some of country music’s biggest stars, including Willie Nelson, Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton, whose 1973 hit “Jolene” is one of two covers featured. “I think people are going to be …

Harvard said it received 5% fewer undergraduate applications this year compared with a year earlier, a dip that follows a tumultuous year for the Ivy League school that included the resignation of President Claudine Gay and a backlash over antisemitic incidents on the campus. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based school received 54,008 applications for the class of 2028, according to the Harvard …

Sara England was putting together Ghostbusters costumes for Halloween when she noticed her baby wasn’t doing well. Her 3-month-old son, Amari Vaca, had undergone open-heart surgery two months before, so she called his cardiologist, who recommended getting him checked out. England assigned Amari’s grandparents to trick-or-treat duty with his three older siblings and headed to the local emergency room. Once …

American Airlines is relaxing part of its pet policy to let owners bring their animal companion and a full-size carry-on bag into the cabin. Until this week, people who carried a pet into the cabin, which involves paying a $150 fee, could only have one other small item that fit under the seat. Anything bigger, like a carry-on bag with …

The recall of red yeast products linked to at least five deaths in Japan may have Americans questioning the safety of a range of dietary supplements containing the ingredient and readily found online and in stores. Billed as a natural means of lowering cholesterol, the products recalled by Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. contain benikoji, an ingredient derived from a species of …

Most California fast-food workers are now earning at least $20 an hour — the highest minimum wage across the U.S. restaurant industry. Yet the pay hike, which went into effect on April 1, is sparking furious debate, with some restaurant owners warning of job losses and higher prices for customers, while labor advocates tout the benefits of higher wages. The …