Secondhand clothing shopping spikes as Americans look to spend less and save money

Americans are shopping more forsecondhand clothingas they look to spend less and save money, according to a new report.

Shoppersare not only buying from secondhand retailers more but are also spending less on each purchase.

“The number of secondhand fashion transactions per household grew nine times faster than secondhand spending in March, yet consumers across all income groups are spending less on each purchase since April 2025,” according to a Bank of America Institutereportpublished Tuesday using credit and debit card data.

The secondhand clothing industry has received a lot of buzz over the past couple of years, with videos of shoppers’ hauls from thrift stores flooding social media.

Gen Z, who the report classifies as those born after 1995, have turned their passion for sustainable fashion into aside hustle.

The generational group made up 41 percent of secondhand sellers this year, up from 37 percent in 2024, according to the report. The overall number of Bank of America customers selling secondhand clothing increased 16 percent in March from the year before.

Secondhand shopping can give some relief toAmericans struggling with the cost of living, while making them feel good about their impact on the environment.

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“As inflation persists, and retailers confront tariff costs, consumers are facing higher price tags on apparel – about five times higher than they were a century ago,” the report said. “Beyond discount apparel, secondhand fashion offers consumers an environmentally friendly and economical alternative to clothing purchases.”

Inflation soared in March, mainly because ofhigh energy pricescaused by theUS-Israeli war on Iran.

The Consumer Price Index increased 0.9 percent in March from the month before. The cost of consumer goods and services rose 3.3 percent from the previous year, according to government data. The Federal Reserve has a target annual inflation rate of 2 percent.

Nearly a quarter of all households lived paycheck to paycheck last year, according to a Bank of America Institutereportfrom November 2025.

While the number of Americans who don’t have any wiggle room in their budgets continues to rise, the pace of growth has slowed nearly three times from 2024 levels, the report said.

Americans are also less confident this yearabout having enough money to be financially secure through their retirement, according to an annualsurveyconducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and Greenwald Research released Tuesday.

Just 64 percent of Americans feel comfortable with their retirement funds amid higher costs and rising concern about the future of social safety nets.

byAdministrator

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April 22, 2026

Secondhand clothing shopping spikes as Americans look to spend less and save money

Americans are shopping more forsecondhand clothingas they look to spend less and save money, according to a new report. Shoppersar...

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Ford to recall over 140,000 US vehicles over damaged wires

Ford is recalling 140,201 Ranger vehicles in ‌the U.S. as damaged ‌wires can create an electrical ​short and cause a fire in the A-pillar area, increasing the risk of ‌injury or ⁠a crash, the U.S. National Highway Traffic ⁠Safety Administration said on Wednesday.

The sun visor ​or headliner wiring ​harnesses ​may be ‌improperly positioned or have excessive tape thickness, which can result in damaged wires, the regulator said.

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Dealers will ‌inspect the wiring ​for damage and ​update ​the body control ‌module software, NHTSA ​said, adding ​that the damaged wiring harnesses will be replaced ​as ‌necessary.

(Reporting by Disha Mishra ​in Bengaluru; Editing by ​Nivedita Bhattacharjee)

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April 22, 2026

Ford to recall over 140,000 US vehicles over damaged wires

Ford is recalling 140,201 Ranger vehicles in ‌the U.S. as damaged ‌wires can create an electrical ​short and cause a fire in the A-pill...

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At least 25 dead in powerful explosion at fireworks factory in southern India

At least 25 workers, most of them women, were killed in anexplosion at a fireworks factoryin southern India’sTamil Nadu stateon Sunday, authorities said.

The blast tore through the factory near Kattanarpatti village in Virudhunagar at around 3.20pm. There were nearly 100 people on site at the Vanaja Fireworks unit when the explosion occurred. The workers were reportedly mixing chemicals, police said.

The force of the blast and the ensuing fire flattened at least four sheds, sending plumes of smoke 50ft into the air.

“The explosion was so powerful that three rooms were reduced to rubble and several adjacent structures were also damaged,” a police officer said.

District collector N O Sukhapatra said rescue crews had recovered 23 bodies from the rubble and that six injured workers were being treated at a local government hospital, four of them in critical condition.

A second explosion later in the evening, triggered as rescue workers were clearing the rubble with an earthmover, injured 17 people, including six policemen and four firemen.

Officials said the factory appeared to be operating in violation of multiple safety norms despite holding a licence.

“The factory was not supposed to function on a Sunday. We will initiate stern action after a detailed inquiry,” Mr Sukhapatra said, adding that the licence would be cancelled.

The owner, the wife of a former village council head, is reportedly absconding.

Police said they filed a complaint against the factory owner and foreman and launched a manhunt for them.

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Further violations were alleged by the Firecrackers and Matchbox Manufacturers Association district president PN Deva, who said the unit was permitted to employ only 25 workers but many more were present at the time of the blast.

He said regulations restricted chemical mixing to between 8am and 10am, yet the explosion occurred hours later, suggesting operations continued throughout the day.

Many bodies were charred beyond recognition and some remained to be unidentified.

A family member of a victim told the news agency ANI that she lost both her father and mother in the accident. “We have nothing else to do except deal with this loss,” she said.

Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin described the deaths as “tragic” and expressed “immense sorrow” in a post on X.

Prime ministerNarendra Modi, in a social media post, extended his “condolences to those who have lost their loved ones” and called it a “deeply distressing” incident.

"The loss of lives in a tragic accident at a firecracker factory in Virudhunagar district, TN, is deeply distressing. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. I wish the injured a speedy recovery,” president Droupadi Murmu said.

Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar–Sivakasi belt is widely regarded as India’s fireworks hub, supplying a large share of the country’s crackers and employing thousands in small, often family-run units.

The industry has long been plagued by safety concerns, with accidents occurring regularly due to lapses in handling volatile chemicals and overcrowded workplaces.

One of the deadliest incidents, the Sivakasi fireworks factory explosion in 2012, killed more than 40 people and injured dozens, highlighting persistent failures in enforcing safety regulations.

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April 22, 2026

At least 25 dead in powerful explosion at fireworks factory in southern India

At least 25 workers, most of them women, were killed in anexplosion at a fireworks factoryin southern India’sTamil Nadu stateon Sunday,...

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What to Know About Allegations of Excessive Drinking by FBI Director Kash Patel

FBI Director Kash Patelhas vehemently denied—and threatened a lawsuit over—a new reportfromThe Atlanticthis week, which alleges excessive drinking and unexplained absences during his tenure as bureau chief.

In onepost on X, Patel told the outlet and author of the report: “See you and your entire entourage of false reporting in court,” calling the piece a “legal layup.”

“Memo to the fake news - the only time I’ll ever actually be concerned about the hit piece lies you write about me will be when you stop,” Patel added in another poston XSaturday morning. “Keep talking, it means I’m doing exactly what I should be doing. And no amount of BS you write will ever deter this FBI from making America safe again and taking down the criminals you love.”

Thearticle, published Friday evening, cites more than two dozen people, including unnamed current and former FBI officials, alleging several episodes described as “freak-outs” from the 46-year-old former public defender. These allegations of erratic behavior and excessive drinking are indicative of what they describe as poor and even absent leadership of the agency, which hasabout 38,000 employees.

Several officials cited in the piece say that Patel is known for "obvious intoxication" at private clubs in Washington and in Las Vegas, forcing his staff to move early morning meetings to later in the day as he recovered. Justice Department and White House officials also described instances in which aides or security personnel had difficulty waking him. In one case, members of his security detail were unable to reach him behind locked doors, prompting a request for “breaching equipment” typically used by tactical teams. If substantiated, such conduct would violate the Department of Justice’sethics standards, which prohibit habitual intoxication.

Officials also said it had raised concerns about public safety, with some wondering how Patel would handle a domestic terrorist attack. “That’s what keeps me up at night,” one official toldThe Atlantic, adding that concerns have grown in the weeks since the United States beganmilitary operations against Iran.

The article also alleges that many staffers are just “waiting” for the notice that Patel will be fired from his position, despite President Donald Trump havingpreviously defendedthe FBI director. Officials cited in the report pointed to his unreachability and impulsivity in response to high-stakes situations.

In response to the allegations, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told the magazine that “crime across the country has plummeted to the lowest level in more than 100 years and many high profile criminals have been put behind bars. Director Patel remains a critical player on the Administration’s law and order team.”

The report comes weeks after Iran-linked hackers calling themselves Handala claimed to have breached Patel’s personal email andpublished photographsand documents online, according to Reuters.

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Past controversies

The report adds to the mounting questions over Patel’s leadership of the U.S.’s principal federal law enforcement agency and is the latest in a series of controversies surrounding him.

In September 2025, Pateldrew criticismamong lawmakers across the political aisle over his handling of the manhunt for right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk’s killer, especially after heprematurely announcedthat the authorities had detained a suspect.

At the time, Patel said in an interview that he had “no regrets” about the social media post, claiming that he was acting in the interest of transparency.

“Mr. Patel was so anxious to take credit for finding Mr. Kirk’s assassin that he violated one of the basics of effective law enforcement: At critical stages of investigation, shut up and let the professionals do their job,” Sen. Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois,saidin an FBI oversight hearing at the time.

Read more:After Missteps, Kash Patel Faces Questions Over His Leadership of Charlie Kirk Investigation

In December last year, Democrats on the House Judiciary Committeereleased a letterdemanding answers after reports emerged that Patel used a government aircraft on a “date night” with his country singer girlfriend, to go see her perform in Pennsylvania, and for trips to places like Texas and Scotland. Patelcalledthe accusations “baseless rumors” at the time.

Then, this February, he once againcame under firefor traveling to the Milan-Cortina Olympics to watch the U.S. men’s hockey team win the gold medal. Videos shared on social media after the game showed Patel chugging a beer, wearing a gold medal, and dancing and singing with the team.

An FBI spokesperson later defended Patel in aposton X. “No, it’s not a personal trip. Director Patel is on a trip that was planned months ago.”

The White House did not immediately respond to TIME's request for comment.

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April 22, 2026

What to Know About Allegations of Excessive Drinking by FBI Director Kash Patel

FBI Director Kash Patelhas vehemently denied—and threatened a lawsuit over—a new reportfromThe Atlanticthis week, which alleges excessi...

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Trump pushes back ceasefire and launches furious tirade at accusations he is ‘sucker’ for Iran

President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the U.S. wouldextend its ceasefire with Iranthat was due to expire tomorrow, at the request of Pakistani authorities, despite havingthreatened hours earlierthat “I expect to be bombing” when asked if he'd agree to such an extension.

Writing on Truth Social, Trump said Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir had asked him to put a hold on his bombing plans while further attributing the decision to “the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured.”

“We have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal,” Trump said.

He added that the American naval blockade on Iran’s ports would remain in place while the ceasefire continues “until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.”

The president’s latest walk-back of his threats to resume the U.S. air campaign against Tehran comeshours after he told CNBChe was not inclined to agree to any extension of the ceasefire.

After he was asked by anchor Joe Kernen if he’d consider an extension during a telephone interview on the cable news programSquawk Box,Trump replied: “I don't want to do that. We don't have that much time.”

“I expect to be bombing because I think that's a better attitude to go in with. But we're ready to go. I mean, the military is raring to go,” he said.

Trump had also told Bloomberg News it was “highly unlikely” that he’d agree to extend the ceasefire after its Wednesday expiration without a full agreement to end the nearly two-month-old war he started on February 28.

Although negotiations between the parties had been set to commence in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, the U.S. team that was slated to be led by Vice President JD Vance never left the U.S., and Vance remained at the White House all day on Tuesday in what officials described as a series of policy meetings.

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For their part, Tehran’s negotiators had refused to participate in the sessions unless Trump had lifted the blockade of Iran’s ports.

In a post on X, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi called the blockade an “act of war” and therefore a violation of the ceasefire.

"Iran knows how to ‌neutralize restrictions, ‌how to defend its ⁠interests, and how to resist bullying," he said.

Tuesday’s announcement is just the most recent in a series of reversals, which critics have come to givethe derisive acronym TACO(”Trump Always Chickens Out”) that have characterized Trump’s second bite at the apple of presidential power.

The pattern was established last April after his shambolic “liberation day” tariff rollout — he makes an outrageous threat on trade or another policy matter that is likely to cause the market to tumble before he inevitably walks back on that policy, leading to a market rebound.

For example, his so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs caused the markets to hithistoric lowsbefore he ordered a 90-day pause one week later, leading torecord highs.

Traders even started using the TACO acronym to describe the rapid policy shifts, borrowing the term first coined byFinancial Timescolumnist Robert Armstronglast year.

The ceasefire extension echoes his decision to announce the ceasefire agreement on April 7, hours ahead of a self-imposed deadline before he ordered U.S. forces to bomb Iranian civilian infrastructure.

Days earlier, he’d declared the day “Power Plant Day” and “Bridge Day” for U.S. armed forces unless Iran would “Open the F***in’ Strait, you crazy b*****ds,” lest they be “living in Hell.”

He later threatened that Iran’s “entire civilization” would “die tonight, never to be brought back again,” implying that the U.S. would commit genocide against the Iranian people unless their government capitulated to his terms.

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April 22, 2026

Trump pushes back ceasefire and launches furious tirade at accusations he is ‘sucker’ for Iran

President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the U.S. wouldextend its ceasefire with Iranthat was due to expire tomorrow, at the request of P...

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Ace Zack Wheeler set to return to struggling Phillies rotation on Saturday at Atlanta

CHICAGO (AP) — Philadelphia ace right-hander Zack Wheeler, out since last August because of a blood clot found near his right shoulder and thoracic outlet surgery, will return to the struggling Phillies rotation on Saturday in Atlanta, manager Rob Thomson said Tuesday.

A three-time All-Star, the 35-year-old Wheeler last pitched on Aug. 15, 2025, at Washington, exiting after five innings.

Wheeler finished his sixth season with the Phillies at 10-5 with a 2.71 ERA through 149 2/3 innings and 24 starts. He's 113-75 with a 3.28 ERA for his career over 11 seasons with Philadelphia and the New York Mets.

Wheeler completed a five-game minor league rehab stint on Sunday when he threw 77 pitches for Double-A Reading. The righty also pitched for Triple-A Lehigh Valley during the assignment.

Thomson didn't think Wheeler, who rejoined the Phillies in Chicago, would face significant restrictions against the Braves.

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“I see him as kind of a six (inning), 90 (pitch) guy,” Thomson said before the Phillies faced the Cubs. “I think he's basically at the end of spring training.”

Wheeler's return could provide a much-needed boost to the Phillies, who entered Tuesday on a six-game slide that dropped them to 8-14.

“I think having Zack Wheeler on your 26-man roster makes you a better roster no matter what,” Thomson said. “So when he's healthy and pitching, well he's one of, if not the best pitcher in the National League.”

AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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April 21, 2026

Ace Zack Wheeler set to return to struggling Phillies rotation on Saturday at Atlanta

CHICAGO (AP) — Philadelphia ace right-hander Zack Wheeler, out since last August because of a blood clot found near his right shoulder ...

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Chornobyl first responder says few survive 40 years on

By Daria Smetanko

Petro Hurin visits the monuments dedicated to his grandson Andrii, a Ukrainian serviceman in Cherkasy region

KHUTORY, Ukraine, April 21 (Reuters) - Petro Hurin says his health has never been the same since he was sent 40 years ago to clear the Chornobyl site in the wake of the world's worst nuclear accident.

He was among hundreds of thousands of 'liquidators' brought in to ‌clean up after the explosion at reactor four of the Chornobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine on April 26, 1986. The disaster sent clouds of ‌radioactive material across much of Europe.

Thirty-one plant workers and firemen died in the immediate aftermath, mostly from acute radiation sickness. Thousands more have since succumbed to radiation-related illnesses such as cancer, although the total death ​toll and long-term health effects remain a subject of intense debate.

At the time, Hurin worked for a business that supplied diggers and construction vehicles, which sent him to the Chornobyl exclusion zone in June 1986. Of the 40 people sent by his company, only five are alive today, he said.

"Not a single Chornobyl person is in good health," the 76-year-old said. "It's death by a thousand cuts."

Soviet authorities strove to conceal the extent of the Chornobyl disaster, refusing to cancel the May 1 parade in Kyiv, around 100 km (60 miles) ‌to the south. Ukraine's current government has highlighted the ⁠Soviet authorities' bungled handling of the accident and attempts to cover up the disaster.

Hurin said some colleagues produced medical certificates to excuse themselves from serving in Chornobyl, but he was willing to help.

"I realised that, however small my contribution might be, I was doing ⁠my bit to help tame this atomic beast," he said.

HEADACHES, CHEST PAIN, BLEEDING

Working 12-hour shifts, Hurin used an excavator to load dry concrete mixed with lead – shipped to the site by river barge – onto trucks for transport to the reactor, where it was mixed to build a massive sarcophagus to contain the radiation.

"The dust was terrible," Hurin recalled. "You'd work for half an ​hour ​in a respirator, and it would end up looking (brown) like an onion."

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After four days, Hurin said ​he began experiencing severe symptoms such as headaches, chest pain, bleeding ‌and a metallic taste in his throat. Doctors treated him but after another shift, he could barely walk. He feared he had "a day or two" to live.

"I was brought to the hospital, and the doctors did a blood test first," Hurin said. "They pricked all my fingers and a pale liquid came out, but no blood."

Soviet doctors refused to diagnose radiation sickness, a finding he said was not permitted at the time. Instead, he was told he had vegetative-vascular dystonia, a nervous disorder often linked to stress.

Before the disaster, Hurin had never taken sick leave, but afterwards he spent around seven months going from one hospital to another to receive treatment, including a blood ‌transfusion.

He says he has been diagnosed with anaemia - often linked to radiation sickness - angina, pancreatitis ​and a series of other conditions.

By the standards of his countrymen, Hurin has lived a long life. ​According to the World Health Organization, average life expectancy for men in ​Ukraine stood at 66 in 2021, having declined during COVID.

Now retired, Hurin lives with his wife Olha in central Ukraine's Cherkasy region. ‌Although he suffers from health problems, he still plays the bayan – ​a type of accordion - and writes songs and ​poems.

He says he is fighting to access a special disability pension for 'liquidators' of the nuclear disaster.

Another catastrophe - Russia's 2022 invasion of his homeland - has come to dominate his life. He and his wife Olha regularly visit a memorial in nearby Kholodnyi Yar dedicated to their grandson, Andrii Vorobkalo, a Ukrainian soldier, ​who was killed three years ago in the war, aged ‌26.

After his daughter had left to work in Europe, Hurin and his wife raised Andrii from the age of four. When Russia invaded Ukraine ​in 2022, Andrii quit his job in Greece.

"He left everything behind and came to defend Ukraine," Hurin told Reuters, standing near the memorial ​stone dedicated to his grandson. "We think of Andrii all the time."

(Editing by Andrew Heavens)

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April 21, 2026

Chornobyl first responder says few survive 40 years on

By Daria Smetanko Petro Hurin visits the monuments dedicated to his grandson Andrii, a Ukrainian serviceman in Cherkasy region ...

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