Walnuts may lower your risk of colon cancer and reduce overall inflammation in the body, according to a study recently published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research. "The study shows that a simple and inexpensive dietary addition can provide health benefits to the colon without any downside risks," study author Daniel Rosenberg told Fox News Digital. Roseberg is the director of the colon cancer prevention program at the Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center in Connecticut. Researchers from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine said walnuts contain phytochemicals called ellagitannins, which are metabolized by the gut bacteria and converted into potent anti-inflammatory compounds known as urolithins. High levels of urolithin A, formed by gut bacteria after walnut consumption, may positively affect immune cells in colon polyps and be linked with an overall reduction of inflammatory markers in urine, blood and fecal samples, according to the study. "The effects are seen both in the colon, as well as in the blood," Rosenberg said. "The latter indicates the effects are systemic and not only limited to providing gut health." The study involved 39 participants between the ages of 40 and 60, considered to be at high risk for colon cancer. The participants avoided ellagitannin-containing foods and beverages for a week to get their bodies' urolithin levels close to zero. They were then closely monitored while following a diet that involved consuming walnuts, which are rich in ellagitannins, according to a UConn news release. After the three-week study, the participants underwent a high-definition colonoscopy. Researchers then looked at tissue from polyps removed during the procedure. They found a direct association between patients with high levels of urolithin A formation — from gut biodome after consuming walnuts — with reduced levels of common proteins found in polyps. This included the protein vimentin, which is associated with more advanced forms of colon cancer, according to the report. Rosenberg told Fox News Digital that walnut ingestion "affects some of the inflammatory proteins that are surrounding a patient's polyps, potentially adding additional health benefit." Reduced inflammatory markers were found in the urine and fecal samples of the participants who followed the walnut-consuming diet. The study also found urolithin A-levels in participants' urine correlated with a boost in serum levels of a protein associated with colorectal cancer inhibition known as peptide YY, according to the report. Rosenberg said his team found walnut supplementation reduced the levels of several markers of inflammation in the participants' blood, especially in individuals who had an elevated BMI in excess of 30. "The study shows that a simple and inexpensive dietary addition can provide health benefits to the colon without any downside risks." "We believe that many of the effects we have observed with respect to inflammation are directly related to a patient's ability to form urolithins," Rosenberg told Fox News Digital. "However, this ability is widely variable in human subjects. Some people can do this very well, whereas others lack this capacity." Rosenberg told Fox News Digital that his team's long-term goal is to "figure out what microbes are responsible for this metabolic activity so that we can create probiotics that people can consume that will afford them the capacity to generate urolithins in their gut." To reap the health benefits, Rosenberg suggested eating about five to 10 walnuts per day. Laura Feldman, a registered dietitian and assistant professor of nutrition at Long Island University in New York, was not affiliated with the study but told Fox News Digital that walnuts "are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids." These acids "are anti-inflammatory and, generally, Americans are not getting enough of them," she said. Feldman also noted that walnuts are rich in fiber, which is "another nutrient Americans are lacking." "Adequate fiber intake is associated with decreased risk of colorectal cancers." Although walnuts are a healthy snack, Feldman said they are considered a high-calorie food — so consumers should be mindful of portion sizes, "typically sticking to about a handful at a time throughout the day."

Weight-loss medications known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists, which have gained popularity for treating type 2 diabetes and obesity, have been shown to have the surprising secondary benefit of reducing alcohol intake. A team of international researchers from Ireland and Saudi Arabia followed 262 adult patients with obesity who started taking two GLP-1 medications: liraglutide or semaglutide. Among the regular drinkers, weekly alcohol intake decreased by 68%, from approximately 23 units of alcohol to around 8 units. The findings were recently published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism and were also presented last week at the European Congress on Obesity in Spain. GLP-1 agonists mimic a hormone called GLP-1, which is released from the gastrointestinal system after eating, according to study co-author Carel Le Roux, a professor at University College Dublin. These medications activate GLP-1 receptors in the brain, decreasing the sense of "reward" people feel after eating or drinking, eventually leading to reduced cravings for both food and alcohol, he told Fox News Digital. "It is this commonality of function that suggests the GLP-1 receptors in the brain may be a therapeutic target for not just the disease of obesity, but also for alcohol use disorder," the professor said. Study findings Before the participants started the weight-loss drugs, they self-reported their weekly alcohol intake, then were categorized as non-drinkers, rare drinkers or regular drinkers. Approximately 72% had at least two follow-up visits and 68% reported regular alcohol consumption. After starting the weight-loss medications, the participants’ weekly average alcohol intake decreased by almost two-thirds overall — from approximately 11 units of alcohol to four units after four months of treatment with the GLP-1 agonists. The reduction in alcohol use was comparable to the decrease that can be achieved by nalmefene, a drug that decreases the "buzz" feeling in people with alcohol use disorder in Europe, according to the researchers. For the 188 patients who were followed over an average of four months, none had increased their alcohol intake after starting the weight-loss medications. Patients reported that after an evening meal, they were too full to have their usual drink — and when they did drink, they reported becoming full extremely quickly and drinking at a slower pace, Le Roux noted. "The findings in this study suggest that we may have just found a therapeutic target for alcohol use disorder." This suggests that the experience was less enjoyable, partly due to the reduced rate of alcohol absorption. Some patients also reported that they didn’t enjoy the flavor of the alcoholic beverages as much, and also that hangovers were much worse. All of these experiences showed that the weight-loss medications create "guard rails" that prevent most patients from drinking excessively, giving them a degree of control over their alcohol intake, according to Le Roux. "The findings in this study suggest that we may have just found a therapeutic target for alcohol use disorder — the GLP-1 receptor," the professor told Fox News Digital. "This finding potentially opens the possibility of an entirely new pharmacological treatment paradigm, which could be used in conjunction with conventional methods, such as behavior therapy and group support." Potential limitations The study was limited by its relatively small number of patients, the researchers acknowledged. Also, the researchers were not able to verify the participants’ self-reported alcohol intake, and roughly one-third of them were not available for follow-up. There was also no control group, which means the researchers couldn’t prove that taking weight-loss medication reduces alcohol intake. "Randomized, controlled trials with diverse patient populations — including patients diagnosed with alcohol use disorder — are needed to provide the quality and quantity of data that could be used to support an application for licensing the medication for the treatment of alcohol use disorder," Le Roux said. (One such trial is currently underway in Denmark.) Study implications With the current medications available to treat alcohol use disorder, the "major problem" is compliance, Le Roux said — "because the cravings for alcohol tend to come in waves." "This means a patient might be fully committed to treatment at one point in the week, but then stop taking the medication later in the week when a craving comes," the professor added. There are currently three FDA-approved medications to treat alcohol use disorder: naltrexone (which helps decrease cravings by reducing the "buzz" feeling that comes with drinking alcohol); disulfiram (which helps some people avoid alcohol by making them feel sick when they drink), and acamprosate (which restores the balance of hormones in the brain to reduce cravings), according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. But less than 10% of people with alcohol use disorder get the proper treatment, with many resuming use within the first year of treatment, past research shows. The main advantage of the GLP-1 agonists is that they only need to be taken once a week and continue to work for the entire week. Outside experts say the study’s findings highlight the potential of weight-loss medications to help treat alcohol use disorder. "This research suggests a promising ancillary benefit of GLP-1 analogs, potentially influencing cravings for alcohol and offering a new avenue for managing alcohol use disorder," Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, obesity medicine physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, who was not part of the study, told Fox News Digital. "While the exact mechanisms are still being explored, the findings contribute to our understanding of the broader benefits of GLP-1 analogs beyond obesity treatment," Stanford added.

World Press Photo has cast fresh doubt over the authorship of “The Terror of War,” a picture better known as “Napalm Girl,” amid growing debate about one of the 20th century’s defining images. The organization, which named the image “Photo of the Year” in 1973, announced Friday that it has “suspended” its longstanding attribution to retired Associated Press (AP) photographer Nick Ut. An accompanying report said the “visual and technical” evidence “leans toward” an emerging theory that a Vietnamese freelance photographer, Nguyen Thanh Nghe, took the photo. It is the latest twist in a controversy sparked by “The Stringer,” a documentary that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January claiming Nghe, not Ut, captured the iconic photo of a naked girl fleeing a napalm attack during the Vietnam War. Nghe was one of more than a dozen people stationed at a highway checkpoint outside the village of Trang Bang on June 8, 1972, as 9-year-old Phan Thi Kim Phuc and other villagers were mistaken for the enemy and bombarded by the South Vietnamese air force. (A year later, Ut won the Pulitzer Prize for the picture.) The film contains allegations that Nghe sold his photo to the AP before editors intervened to credit Ut, who was the agency’s staff photographer in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) at the time. CNN could not independently assess the claims because the film’s producer, the VII Foundation, did not respond to multiple requests for a copy of the documentary, which has not yet been publicly released. Ut has since repeatedly dismissed allegations that he did not take the photo. A statement released on the Vietnamese American photographer’s behalf by his attorney, Jim Hornstein, called World Press Photo’s decision to suspend attribution “deplorable and unprofessional.” The statement added that Nghe’s claim is “unsupported by a scintilla of corroborating evidence or eyewitness.” Earlier this month, the AP published a 96-page report on the matter. The investigation — which was based on eyewitness interviews, examination of cameras, a 3D model of the scene and surviving photo negatives — found “no definitive evidence” to justify changing the attribution. While the agency acknowledged that the passage of time and absence of key evidence made it “impossible to fully prove” whether Ut took the photo, crediting Nghe would “require several leaps of faith.” But World Press Photo took a different stance, with executive director Joumana El Zein Khoury writing on the organization’s website that the “level of doubt is too significant to maintain the existing attribution.” “At the same time, lacking conclusive evidence pointing definitively to another photographer, we cannot reassign authorship either,” she continued, adding: “The suspension will remain in place unless further evidence can clearly confirm or refute the original authorship.” Citing the AP investigation and the documentary, which included visual analysis by Paris-based research group Index, World Press Photo said there are “substantial and credible reasons” to doubt the existing attribution. The organization’s report centers on several “unresolved issues,” including the camera used to take the photo and analyses of Ut’s position relative to the image’s vantage point. A reconstruction of the scene by Index, based on a “geo-based timeline,” suggested that Ut would have needed to have “taken the photo, run 60 meters (197 feet), and returned calmly, all within a brief window of time,” World Press Photo said. The organization described that scenario as “highly unlikely” though “not impossible.” The AP, meanwhile, has disputed the 60-meter figure, saying that Ut’s purported position on the highway — which is based on “shaky,” low-resolution footage filmed by a TV cameraman — could have been as little as 32.8 meters away from where the image was captured, and that the photographer “could have been in the position to have taken the shot.” World Press Photo also pointed to ongoing questions over equipment. The AP has previously said it is “likely” the photo was taken using a Pentax camera, which Nghe is known to have used. Ut, however, had frequently said he carried cameras by Leica and Nikon. When questioned for the AP’s investigation, Ut told the agency he also used Pentax cameras. The photo agency said it subsequently found negatives in its archives, shot by Ut in Vietnam, with “the characteristics of a Pentax camera.” World Press Photo also noted the possibility that another person altogether — Vietnamese military photographer Huynh Cong Phuc, who sometimes sold images to news agencies — took the photo. The AP’s investigation noted that he, like Ut and Nghe, “could have been in the position to have taken the shot.” Earlier this month, Ut welcomed the findings of the AP’s latest report, saying in a statement that it “showed what has always been known, that the credit for my photo … is correct.” He added: “This whole thing has been very difficult for me and has caused great pain.” Appearing in the world’s newspapers the day after it was taken, “The Terror of War” became a symbol of opposition to the Vietnam War. In the decades since, Ut has campaigned for peace alongside the photo’s subject, now known as Kim Phuc Phan Thi, who survived her injuries and was granted political asylum by Canada in 1992. Speaking to CNN to mark the image’s 50th anniversary in 2022, the photographer recounted his version of events, saying: “I saw Kim running and she (screamed in Vietnamese) ‘Too hot! Too hot!’ “When I took the photo of her, I saw that her body was burned so badly, and I wanted to help her right away. I put all my camera gear down on the highway and put water on her body.” Ut said he put the injured children in his van and drove them for 30 minutes to a nearby hospital. “When I went back to my office, the (dark room technician) and everyone who saw the picture told me right away it was very powerful, and that the photo would win a Pulitzer,” he added. In a statement emailed to CNN, the organizer of the Pulitzer Prizes said it “does not anticipate future action” regarding Ut’s award. “The Pulitzer Prizes depend on submitting news organizations to determine the authorship of their entries,” the statement read. “AP’s extensive review showed insufficient proof to withdraw credit.”

A passenger on board a Spirit Airlines flight in Florida said she was horrified after spotting several insects crawling inside the plane cabin. Symone Berry told Storyful she was sitting in one of the airline’s "Big Front Seats," the equivalent of the airline’s first-class seats, on May 11. That's when she "saw roaches crawling on the plane," she said. Berry posted about the dismaying episode on X and TikTok. "Never again will I fly @SpiritAirlines," she wrote in her X post. "I’ve flown over 500,000 miles on Delta and have never in my life seen roaches on a plane." She added, "This is crazy." Footage from Berry shows what she said were two different cockroaches crawling around the cabin. The airline gave Berry a voucher — but that didn’t change her mind about never flying with the airline again, she said in a subsequent TikTok video. Fox News Digital reached out to Spirit Airlines for comment. In a statement provided to USA Today, Spirit said it "is aware of the video, and our maintenance team thoroughly inspected the aircraft involved and addressed the issue." The airline added, "We maintain high standards of cleanliness across our fleet and want all of our guests to feel comfortable when traveling with us."

A "copy" of the famous document known as a symbol against tyranny and as a "cornerstone of freedom" has been discovered to be authentic. Harvard Law School in 1946 bought a "copy" of the Magna Carta for just $27.50 from a London legal book dealer, Sweet & Maxwell, according to a news release. British researchers from King’s College London and the University of East Anglia made the discovery while studying unofficial copies of Magna Carta. One professor, David Carpenter, noticed the digital version of the document on the Harvard Law School Library website and realized it might be authentic. "This is a fantastic discovery," Carpenter, a professor of medieval history at King’s College London, said in a Harvard Law School press release. Previously, only six originals of the document were known to exist. The Magna Carta is a royal charter of rights agreed to by King John of England in 1211. It is known for having paved the way for the idea that the king and his government were not above the law, according to the UK's Parliament. "Harvard’s Magna Carta deserves celebration, not as some mere copy, stained and faded, but as an original of one of the most significant documents in world constitutional history, a cornerstone of freedoms past, present and yet to be won," added Carpenter. To determine if the charter was authentic, it was photographed under ultra-violet light and subjected to various levels of spectral imaging along with receiving an analysis of the form, hand and content. Nicholas Vincent, a professor of medieval history at the University of East Anglia, said it is "a totem of liberty, central to our sense of who we are: a freedom-loving, free-born people." "This is a fantastic discovery." He added, "It is an icon both of the Western political tradition and of constitutional law. If you asked anybody what the most famous single document in the history of the world is, they would probably name Magna Carta." The press release notes that "Carpenter and Vincent also observed that the first line with elongated letters and a large capital E was consistent with the six other originals of Magna Carta 1300." The National Archives in Washington, D.C., holds a 1297 version of Magna Carta that is on display for the public to view.

Paleontologists recently discovered a 506-million-year-old "moth-like" predator that lurked in prehistoric Canada. In a press release from the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), officials identified the creature as Mosura fentoni, an extinct arthropod, as news agencies including SWNS reported. (See the video at the top of this article.) The museum reported that most of the Mosura fossils were collected by ROM paleontologists at Raymond Quarry in Yoho National Park in British Columbia. Most were found between 1975 and 2022. "Mosura fentoni was about the size of your index finger and had three eyes, spiny jointed claws, a circular mouth lined with teeth and a body with swimming flaps along its sides," the museum noted. "These traits show it to be part of an extinct group known as the radiodonts, which also included the famous Anomalocaris canadensis, a meter-long predator that shared the waters with Mosura." What makes the discovery so interesting to researchers is that Mosura had an abdomen-like body region made up of multiple segments at its back end – which had not been previously observed in any radiodonts. Joe Moysiuk, a curator of paleontology and geology at the Manitoba Museum, said Mosura had 16 of these segments, all lined with gills. "This is a neat example of evolutionary convergence with modern groups, like horseshoe crabs, woodlice and insects, which share a batch of segments bearing respiratory organs at the rear of the body," Moysiuk described. The museum reported that the species has been nicknamed the "sea-moth" by field collectors based on its moth-like attributes. "This inspired its scientific name, which references the fictional Japanese kaiju also known as Mothra. Only distantly related to real moths – as well as spiders, crabs, and millipedes – Mosura belongs on a much deeper branch in the evolutionary tree of these animals, collectively known as arthropods," the statement added. Instead of arteries and veins, Mosura's heart pumped blood into large internal body cavities called lacunae. Interestingly, the fossils show details of Mosura's internal anatomy – including its nervous system, circulatory system, and digestive tract. Instead of arteries and veins, Mosura's heart pumped blood into large internal body cavities called lacunae. ROM curator Jean-Bernard Caron said that "few fossil sites in the world offer this level of insight into soft internal anatomy." "We can see traces representing bundles of nerves in the eyes that would have been involved in image processing, just like in living arthropods," the expert added.

Ancient military fortifications dating back to the Ptolemaic and Roman eras of Egyptian history were recently uncovered by archaeologists. The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the discovery in a Facebook post, which was translated from Arabic to English, on May 3. Officials said that a recent excavation at the Tell Abu Sefeh site led to the uncovering of an expansive military complex. The Tell Abu Sefeh site is located in North Sinai, near the Egyptian city of Ismailia and the Suez Canal. Described as one of Egypt's "important strategic locations," Tell Abu Sefeh emerged as a prominent location in antiquity. The ministry of tourism and antiquities said the site played a "pivotal role in protecting Egypt's eastern borders." There, archaeologists "uncovered remains of military fortifications, soldiers' residential units, and a trench indicating the possibility of another fortress in the area," according to the ministry. Aerial pictures show the sophisticated ancient military fortifications, along with artifacts such as basins and pots. Experts also believe that trees once lined a road to the fortress. "[M]ore than 500 clay circles were uncovered on both sides of the stone road, likely used for planting trees that adorned the entrance of the fortress during the Ptolemaic era," the release noted. Egyptian officials added that the soldiers' residences "provide a clear picture of the daily life of cavalry stationed at the Roman fortress during the reigns of Emperor Diocletian and Emperor Maximian." "[T]he discovery of four large kilns used for producing quicklime [also indicate] the site's transformation into an industrial center at the end of the Roman era, leading to the destruction of all stone structures at the site," the statement added. Archaeologists also discovered a road that was over 330 feet long and 36 feet wide. It was "paved with limestone slabs, extending from outside the eastern gate of the Roman fortress to the heart of the site." "[This] road is built over an older road from the Ptolemaic era, constructed from limestone slabs," the statement said. Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy said in a statement that the discovery "sheds light on the secrets of Egypt's eastern military fortifications during the Ptolemaic and Roman eras." "[It also] highlights the significance of Tell Abu Sefeh as a military and industrial center throughout the ages," the official added. Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mohamed Ismail Khaled echoed Fathy's sentiment. The excavation "contributes to a more accurate depiction of the map of Egypt's defenses on its eastern borders, reaffirming that Sinai has always been Egypt's eastern gateway and first fortress," he added. It was "paved with limestone slabs, extending from outside the eastern gate of the Roman fortress to the heart of the site." "[The mission also] managed to uncover a distinctive architectural design for the eastern gates of the previously discovered Ptolemaic and Roman fortresses at the site, aiding in re-imagining the shape of defensive entrances at that time, along with a massive defensive trench over two meters deep at the entrance of the Ptolemaic fortress, believed to be part of a defensive system that could be disabled when threatened," Khaled added. The announcement comes weeks after the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the unusual discovery of a false door at an ancient Egyptian tomb. Before that, the ministry reported another rare find: a 3,000-year-old mining complex, complete with remnants of millennia-old baths, workshops and homes.

If you can't beat them, eat them. That's become a slogan of sorts for the New England seafood industry and some of the fishermen who supply them, as they try to eradicate – or at least control – the population of one of the world's most invasive species: the green crab. These pesky creatures offer little meat but have a voracious appetite of their own, wreaking havoc on the shellfish industry and the ecosystem. "They're omnivores, so they eat everything, including a lot of our really important species and commercial species, like soft-shell clam," Adrienne Pappal, habitat and water quality program manager for the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, told Fox News Digital. Green crabs have been in New England since the mid-to-late 1800s, making their way from Europe and West Africa via cargo ships. The crabs have broad environmental tolerances, Pappal said, so they can live anywhere from intertidal to subtidal areas, from 30 to 100 feet. "They have a lot of ways to survive, and that's why they've been really successful," said Pappal. "They are so widespread in the environment and can have a lot of different impacts." Green crabs are hard on the shellfish industry in Massachusetts, according to Story Reed, deputy director of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF). "On the North Shore, there are five towns that have done eradication programs that have been mostly funded through the state to pay fishermen to go out and try to eradicate these things," Reed told Fox News Digital. "We've recently heard from towns in the Cape Cod area who are also interested in eradication programs because they're seeing impacts to their shellfish as well." Fisherman Jamie Bassett, of Chatham, Massachusetts, said he's seen that firsthand. "We have an issue with green crab," he told Fox News Digital. "A gravid female – gravid meaning egg-bearing – can, I believe, disperse up to 180,000 eggs into the water." "We have an issue with green crab." Bassett said he frequently encounters hundreds of gravid females. "The issue of green crab as an invasive species is not going to go away," he said. "One, because they reproduce so much. And two, because it's just not a sought-after species." Finding a market for green crabs is a challenge, he said. "How many pounds of green crabs is a restaurant going to order from one of the seafood wholesalers in Boston?" he said. "They're not too edible. It's not like you can pick through them like a lobster. You'll die of old age before you pick through a green crab for a thimble of it." But Sharon St. Ours, whose family has been in the seafood business for 45 years, is hoping to change that. "As it turns out, they're 'really delicious.'" "When I learned how they were devastating the oyster population because of their numbers, I turned to my dad and said, 'We can do something about this problem,'" St. Ours told Fox News Digital. "We got some crabs and cooked them." As it turns out, they're "really delicious," she said. "Their broth is a lot sweeter than any other crabs that I've used to make shellfish broth. It's a lot sweeter than lobster broth." St. Ours & Company officially debuted its crab broth powder, after three years in the making, at the Seafood Expo North America trade show in March. It was named a finalist in the food service category. "It's not profitable yet and I have more to sell," she said. "But I do have a lot of interest in it." The broth was partially funded by the DMF's seafood marketing program. "It was really neat to see it get that recognition at an international show and get to taste it," Reed said. "I think it's the creativity, the willingness to try new species, both from [the] consumer's perspective and from chefs in the culinary world. It's great that people are trying these different things."

A $5 cap on fees for overdrawing your bank account balance is likely to be among the latest consumer protections from Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s presidency to fall. Congress voted last week to strike down the $5 cap on most overdraft fees approved by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau late last year. President Trump is expected to sign the change into law, though the timing is uncertain. The change means that the biggest banks and credit unions will be able to continue charging hefty fees — often ranging from $15 to as much as $35 — for covering shortfalls when you write a check or use your A.T.M. card for more money than is in your checking account. Households that pay overdraft fees would have saved an average of $225 a year under the proposed rule, the consumer bureau said when it enacted the rule. Households that struggle to pay bills, save for emergencies and manage debt are more likely to pay overdraft fees, the Financial Health Network, a nonprofit focused on financial stability, has found. Such households are disproportionately Black and Latino, and most make $30,000 a year or less. For this group, which may lack options for affordable credit, overdraft fees compound financial challenges and “can have a considerable negative impact,” the network reported in 2023. “People with low incomes really bear the brunt of this,” said Nadine Chabrier, senior policy and litigation counsel at the Center for Responsible Lending. Consumers also won’t see lower fees when they pay their credit card bills late. This week, the Trump administration scrapped an $8 limit on most card late fees, which hover around $32. According to the Pew Charitable Trusts, overdraft fees are unpopular, with 70 percent of Americans deeming a $35 overdraft fee to be “unfair.” Most people would prefer to have banks simply decline transactions if they lacked funds in their account, Pew found, and 84 percent want the government to encourage banks to lower the fees. Banks, however, argue that 70 percent of bank customers find their bank’s overdraft service “valuable.” Consumers “have indicated time and time again that they value and appreciate” the service, Rob Nichols, chief executive of the American Bankers Association, said in a statement after Congress struck down the cap. What exactly is an overdraft? An overdraft occurs when your checking account balance is too low to cover a purchase or withdrawal, but the bank covers the amount and, typically, charges you a fee. Overdraft fees began as a “courtesy” in the late 1960s to help bank customers avoid bounced checks, according to Pew. As debit cards gained popularity, the fees became a significant source of revenue for banks — an estimated $12 billion in 2024, according to an analysis by the Financial Health Network. Does this mean banks will charge higher overdraft fees now? Not necessarily. The fee cap was not scheduled to take effect until October. So for now, at least, little has changed, said Jennifer Tescher, the Financial Health Network’s chief executive. Scrutiny by the consumer bureau, along with competition from digital money tools, had led some big banks to eliminate or reduce overdraft fees in recent years, or to give customers more wiggle room to bring account balances out of the red before charging them. “I don’t expect banks to all of a sudden renege on positive changes they have made to overdraft policies,” Ms. Tescher said. Which banks have eliminated or reduced overdraft fees? It can pay to shop around to find banks with no or low overdraft fees, said Adam Rust, director of financial services with the Consumer Federation of America, although consumers must weigh the size of overdraft fees with other account fees that banks may charge. Some big banks have done away with the overdraft fees, although the details of how they handle overdrawn accounts vary. Some, for instance, may set limits — like $250 — on the size of the overdraft they will cover. Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Capital One eliminated overdraft fees in 2022. Its customers are not charged a fee if they overdraw their account and the bank covers the shortage, according to the bank’s website. But if the shortage isn’t covered “promptly,” the bank may decline to cover further overdrafts and may close your account. Other banks that did away with the fees include Ally Bank and Citibank. Banks that have reduced their overdraft fees include Bank of America ($10), KeyBank ($20) and Huntington Bank ($15). How can I avoid overdraft fees? If your bank account does charge overdraft fees, make sure you understand your bank’s policies and that the bank knows your preferences. At most banks, overdraft coverage means that the bank, for a fee, generally pays shortages caused by checks, automatic bill payments and recurring debit card transactions, like membership fees. But you must choose, or “opt in,” to have optional coverage for shortages resulting from everyday debit card spending and A.T.M. withdrawals. If you don’t elect coverage of debit and A.T.M. withdrawals and you overdraw your account, the transactions will simply be declined. (There’s often no bank fee charged in those circumstances since many banks have done away with what were known as NSF or non-sufficient funds fees.) “Make sure you are opted out for debit card transactions,” said Lauren Saunders, associate director of the National Consumer Law Center, if you don’t want to risk overdraft fees for everyday spending. Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT If you do want overdraft coverage as a backup, opt in. But be prepared to pay fees if you overdraw your account. Either way, it’s smart to set up low-balance alerts, via text or email, to warn you if your account falls below a certain limit. Most banks offer the option to link your checking account to another account — a savings account, say — at the bank. If your checking account balance goes negative, funds are automatically transferred into your checking account to cover the shortage, often with no fee or, at least, a lower fee than one you would pay for an overdraft. That may mean keeping some funds in a savings account that earns a low rate of interest, Mr. Rust said. Many people now stash free cash in high-yield savings accounts at online banks, which tend to pay higher rates. But, he said, the overdraft transfer option generally isn’t offered for accounts at outside institutions. Many banks and credit unions offer low-cost bank accounts with no overdraft fees through partnerships with Bank On, a nonprofit-run program that works with banks nationally to certify safe, low-cost accounts. You can ask a bank if it offers Bank On accounts, or search on the program’s website. Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Thomas Rudzewick, chief executive of Maspeth Federal Savings in New York, suggested that consumers consider smaller institutions like his, which have no-fee accounts and are willing to work with customers to improve their budgeting skills if they run into problems overdrawing their accounts. Are there alternatives to using overdraft services? More banks are offering short-term installment loans or lines of credit, which can help people get through a cash crunch. The loans can be quickly approved, based on the account holder’s track record at the bank. Payments can be spread over several months, and rates are lower than for high-interest “payday” loans. US Bank’s “Simple Loan” offering, for instance, lets customers apply while logged in to their checking account to get a “real-time” decision on borrowing $100 to $1,000. Funds are deposited directly into their accounts, at a cost of $6 for every $100 — roughly a 36 percent annual percentage rate. That means a loan of $400 has a fee of $24, according to the bank’s website. (By comparison, traditional, payday loans can have triple-digit interest rates.) Other banks offering similar “small-dollar” loans include Bank of America, Huntington Bank, Regions Bank, Truist and Wells Fargo. What about digital financial tools? Some financial technology firms or “neobanks” promote banking services with no overdraft fees, but there’s reason to be cautious about using such apps. While the firms team up with banks to hold deposits, they are not banks themselves, and your money may be vulnerable when it’s in transit, as The New York Times has reported. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation recommends that if an app claims to offer federally insured deposits, “you should identify which specific F.D.I.C.-insured bank or banks” will hold your money and confirm the bank is insured by searching in the agency’s BankFind tool.

Archaeologists uncovered disturbing details about a Pompeii family's fight for survival during the destructive eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. The Pompeii Archaeological Park announced the recent excavation in a Facebook post in April. Researchers investigated the House of Helle and Phrixus in Pompeii, finding proof of "residents' attempts to save themselves from the ongoing eruption." The house consists of an entrance, an atrium with a water collection basin called an impluvium, and a bedroom — plus a room with a canopy and a banquet hall with "richly decorated walls." "This opening may have allowed lapilli (volcanic rock fragments) to rain inside the house during the early phases of the eruption, from which the victims, now found, tried to protect themselves by taking refuge in a room barricaded with a bed," noted the statement, which was translated from Italian to English. "A cast of the bed was made by identifying voids in the solidified ash formed by the organic decomposition of the wood," officials said. "Plaster was poured into the voids to reconstruct the shape of the bed preserved as an imprint in the ash." In one striking account, researchers found that a family placed a bed across a bedroom door as a makeshift barricade to protect themselves against the volcanic eruption. EXPERTS SHOCKED BY ANCIENT KING ARTHUR MANUSCRIPT FOUND TUCKED INSIDE BOOK: 'SURVIVED THE CENTURIES' Archaeologists also came across the remains of at least four people in the house, including a child. "The child likely owned the bronze bulla found here, an amulet worn by boys until reaching adulthood," the post said. A family placed a bed across a bedroom door as a makeshift barricade to protect themselves against the volcanic eruption. Excavators also found various pantry items, which paint a vivid picture of daily life in Ancient Rome. "Among various other objects discovered were a stash of amphorae stored under a staircase serving as a pantry, some used to contain garum, a widely used fish sauce; and a set of bronze vessels, including a ladle, a single-handled jug, a basket-shaped vase, and a shell-shaped cup," the statement said. The house may have also been undergoing renovation at the time of the eruption, as there were thresholds removed and traces of wall cutting sitting at the entrance of the residence. "However, it continued to be occupied by its residents, who, caught by the eruption, chose not to leave the house, meeting their end there," the statement added. The house was named for a mythological painting that depicts Elle and Phrixus, two figures in Greek mythology. The painting was found on one of the house's walls, though archaeologists do not believe that the inhabitants worshiped Greek gods. "[In] the 1st century AD, these stories no longer held the religious and cultural significance they had in the archaic and classical ages," the archaeological organization said. The excavation helps to confront "the fragility of life for all of us." "We must assume, therefore, that their function in the homes of the middle and upper classes was primarily entertainment, the display of economic and cultural status, and ‘beauty,’ which is also evident in this medium-sized domus." In a statement, Pompeii Archaeological Park director Gabriel Zuchtriegel said the excavation helps to confront "the fragility of life for all of us." "In this wonderfully decorated small house, we found traces of the inhabitants who tried to save themselves by blocking the entrance to a small room with a bed, of which we made a cast," Zuchtriegel said. "This was because lapilli, volcanic stones, were entering through the atrium roof opening, threatening to invade the space," he continued. "They didn't make it; in the end, the pyroclastic flow arrived, a violent stream of scorching ash that filled every room here, as elsewhere, with seismic shocks having already caused many buildings to collapse."