When Taqwanna Clark went to buy a video camera at Fry’s Electronics in Houston, she asked if they had a layaway plan. The cashier instead handed her an application for a store credit card. She applied. “Instantly, it came back declined — like, No!” she says. “Denied, denied — you know, your credit is not good enough.” Clark was 30 and working as a security guard at the Port of Houston. On weekends, she performed as a rapper in the local club scene, under the name T-Baby. She wanted the camera to shoot music videos, to promote her music career. “If I can’t afford a $200 camera,” she recalls thinking, “then I’m in a bad way with this credit thing.” Clark had lived with money anxieties since childhood. In elementary school, her family endured periods of extreme poverty. For a time, on the cusp of homelessness, they lived in the bare framing for a house her father was building on a wooded lot owned by a family member. They slept in an unfinished room and warmed canned food by a … [Read more...] about The High Cost of Bad Credit
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U.S. Trade Deficit Surges 23% to Six-Month High as Exports Sink and Imports Jump
The U.S. trade deficit widened significantly in April as exports plunged and imports rose, putting downward pressure on U.S. economic growth but indicating that consumer appetite for goods remains strong. Exports fell by 3.6 percent in April to $249 billion, led by a decrease in shipments of oil and pharmaceuticals. Goods exports fell by $9.4 billion to $167.1 billion. Exports of services ticked up by $200 million to $81.9 billion, boosted by an increase in international travel services and business services partially offset by declines in financial and government services. Imports of goods increased $5.2 billion to $263.2 billion. Automotive vehicles, parts, and engines increased $2.0 billion, reflecting a surge in car buying in the U.S. that has also increased domestic vehicle sales. Cell phones and other household goods imports increased $1.7 billion. Imports of services fell, led by a decreases in transportation and travel services. Larger deficits subtract from gross … [Read more...] about U.S. Trade Deficit Surges 23% to Six-Month High as Exports Sink and Imports Jump
Route 1 Restaurant Inspections: Dead Roaches Found
0 Business The latest restaurant inspections included numerous restaurants with no violations and some with violations, including dead roaches. Emily Leayman , Patch Staff Posted Reply HYBLA VALLEY, VA — With Fairfax County Health Department's restaurant inspection reports back online, we continue to look at reports in the Route 1 corridor. The health department's environmental health staff inspect over 5,200 restaurants and other retail food service establishments in Fairfax County and cities of Falls Church and Fairfax to ensure safe food handling practices are followed. This includes proper sanitation, food storage and preparation, and adequate kitchen facilities. Aside from restaurants, staff inspect child care centers, hospitals, school cafeterias, and temporary food service vendors at festivals. online database . The health department cautions residents that a single inspection should not be used to evaluate a … [Read more...] about Route 1 Restaurant Inspections: Dead Roaches Found
Arrest Made In Burglary Of 53 Firearms From Springfield Gun Store
1 Crime & Safety Police arrested one of the four suspects in an April 29 burglary of a gun store in Springfield, where 53 long guns and handguns were stolen. Mark Hand and Michael O'Connell , Patch Staff Posted | Updated Reply Cedric Minger, 20, of Brandywine, Maryland, was arrested by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives at a home in Washington, D.C., in connection with the burglary of a gun store in Springfield. Fairfax County police released surveillance footage from a Springfield gun store that they believe is Cedric Minger, 20, of Brandywine, Maryland, one of four suspects in the April 29 burglary of the store. SPRINGFIELD, VA — Police have arrested one of the four suspects in the burglary of a gun shop in Springfield, where 53 firearms, including AR-style weapons and silencers, were stolen on April 29, according to the Fairfax County … [Read more...] about Arrest Made In Burglary Of 53 Firearms From Springfield Gun Store
36 Hours in Oaxaca
Even as strong earthquakes have shaken the region , the centuries-old city of Oaxaca remains largely unrattled. In the shadow of Monte Albán, the hilltop capital of the Zapotec civilization, this multicultural hub in the highlands of southern Mexico was once a quiet regional center. In recent years, the city has been transformed, for better or worse, as bohemian expats and artists have been drawn to its mild, semitropical climate, sturdy Spanish colonial architecture, rich culinary and craft traditions and thrilling art scene. Galleries and boutique hotels, upscale restaurants and trendy mezcalerias have opened in dizzying succession. Increasingly worldly, it remains a place where Mexico’s perilous and complex history reveals itself in ways both beautiful and brutal. Friday 1) 4 p.m. GET CULTURED Opened in 2011, the Centro Cultural San Pablo is housed in a former 16th-century Dominican convent and set around a tiled patio etched with bright green moss. The … [Read more...] about 36 Hours in Oaxaca
Costco Buys Office Building In Newington From Bethesda-Based Finmarc
1 Business Costco has acquired a two-story commercial building next to one of its retail stores in Newington from Finmarc Management for $6.55 million. Mark Hand , Patch Staff Posted | Updated Reply SPRINGFIELD, VA — Costco Wholesale has acquired a two-story office building next to one of its retail stores in Newington from Finmarc Management Inc., a commercial real estate investment firm based in Bethesda, for $6.55 million, Finmarc said Tuesday. The 27,000-square-foot building, at 7375 Boston Boulevard in Newington, is located next to the Costco Wholesale retail store at 7373 Boston Boulevard. Finmarc bought the two-story building in June 2022 as part of an 11-building acquisition consisting of about 740,000 square feet of office, industrial and data center space on Boston Boulevard. Finmarc paid Boston Properties Inc. $127.5 for the buildings, known as the VA 95 portfolio. The two-story building, located … [Read more...] about Costco Buys Office Building In Newington From Bethesda-Based Finmarc