Talking Cars 489: Best & Worst Cars of 2025

Main theme: Following our year-end tradition, we present our own version of “Wrapped” by gathering a wide range of staffers at CR’s Auto Test Center to share their picks for the best and worst cars that Consumer Reports tested in 2025! This goes beyond our usual podcast panelists, sharing a look behind the scenes while giving…

Read More

New Thinking on How to Lower Your Blood Pressure

The AHA has long advised that all adults consume less than 2,300 mg of sodium each day. But the new guidelines advise less than 1,500 mg (the amount in about ⅔ teaspoon). “On average, we see systolic (top) blood pressure drop about 3 points in people with normal blood pressure and 7 points in people…

Read More

Amid Tariff Uncertainty, Is This the Best Time to Buy a Laptop?

With all of that being said, it’s worth keeping a cool head. There’s no reason to panic-shop for the most expensive laptop you can afford when a more thoughtful, needs-based purchase can save you money. “Maybe consumers don’t need a system that expensive,” Bouchard says. “Maybe they need something that’s just good enough to do…

Read More

Palantir Defends Work With ICE to Staff Following Killing of Alex Pretti

After federal agents shot and killed Minneapolis nurse Alex Pretti on Saturday, Palantir workers pressed for answers from leadership on the company’s work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)—and many questioned whether Palantir should be involved with the agency at all. Leadership defended its work as in part improving “ICE’s operational effectiveness.” Internal Slack messages…

Read More

How to Write a Car Safety Complaint to NHTSA

Provide your name and contact information so that investigators can contact you with questions or for more details later, if needed. Vehicle identification number (VIN). This can help investigators pinpoint where and when your car was built, and what major options it may have. These details can help investigators group your complaint appropriately with other similar models….

Read More

5 Best Water Leak Detectors (2026), Tested and Reviewed

Other Leak Detectors We Like TP-Link Tapo T300 Water Leak Detector Photograph: Simon Hill TP-Link Tapo T300 Water Leak Detector for $20: What I like most about these water leak detectors is that they have four metal probes underneath and two above, so they swiftly detect water dripping on top or pooling beneath. Alerts came…

Read More

LIVE Amazon Prime Day 2025: We’re Tracking Deals & Trends All Day

Photograph: Matthew Korfhage Leaf Single-Edge Razor Lately my favorite kind of shaving is the same kind my grandfather would have found familiar: A single very sharp blade. I’ve been lathering shave soap with a brush and bowl—and shaving with an old-fashioned single-blade, single-edge, unmedicated safety razor. Specifically, I’m using the Leaf Thorn (8/10, WIRED Recommends)….

Read More

8 Types of Butter and How to Use Them

There are simple ways to get all the creamy deliciousness you love with less fat—and some smart swaps to try. Maximize the flavor. Use butter as a finishing touch. Do this instead of using it as a cooking fat, says James Briscione, a chef and culinary adviser at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. If you…

Read More