Federal Workers Are Being Told to Blame Democrats for the Shutdown

At the Department of Housing and Urban Development, employees were instructed to set an out-of-office message that reads, “The federal government’s spending authority expired at 11:59 on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, therefore, most HUD programs have been temporarily interrupted, and most HUD employees have been told they cannot work…We regret any inconvenience the government lapse…

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The Post-Chuck Schumer Era

For a while, it seemed like McConnell was single-handedly blocking the entirety of the US government from his vantage as the minority leader, an arrangement Schumer just hasn’t been able to crack. It’s not impossible, however: Unlike in the House, which only requires a majority vote among its 435 members, the Senate has a 60-vote…

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Talking Cars 482: Driving the 2025 Toyota 4Runner

Main Theme In this episode of the Talking Cars podcast, we discuss the redesigned sixth-generation 2025 Toyota 4Runner. Even though the outgoing generation has been around since 2010, it won over fans until the end with its relative simplicity, off-road capabilities, and reliability.  This updated, now larger 4Runner stays true to its roots as an…

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Kia Sorento SUVs Recalled for Fire Risk

A wiring harness located behind the glove box may overheat and melt if the manual climate control’s fan speed is turned up to 3, which could cause a fire. The problem may also result in a burning and/or melting smell, smoke from the vents, or no air coming out of the vents when the climate…

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Best Replacement Windows of 2025

But even the least expensive models will set you back several hundred dollars apiece, plus installation costs. We test to see which models may be more worth the money by subjecting them to heavy rain and wind.  We’ve tested wood, vinyl, and composite replacement windows from brands that include American Craftsman, Andersen, Atrium, Jeld-Wen, Marvin,…

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Best Large SUVs for Maximum Cargo Capacity

But while automakers readily highlight the overall luggage capacity of their offerings, not all of that generous-sounding cargo room is usable space.  At Consumer Reports, we evaluate SUV cargo room differently. We use an expandable rectangular pipe-frame “box.” We enlarge it enough to just fit through the rear opening and extend it into the cargo…

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Everything You Need to Know About USB Ports and Speeds (2025)

Things get extremely complicated when it comes to the many iterations of USB 3.0. Because all the branding has become inconsistent and unhelpful, we recommend ignoring these labels altogether and just searching for the actual speed ratings. The good news is that many USB hub and docking station manufacturers have started to give up on…

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This Is Why You Should Try Ultralight Backpacking (2025)

I first encountered the ideas of ultralight backpacking in 1994, in an article in now-defunct (and much-missed) Backpacker magazine. It was titled “Less is More,” by Mark Jenkins. (I still have a PDF copy I scanned years ago.) Jenkins wrote about a long trip across Europe and Africa. By the end, he and his traveling…

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